Regional and Social Differences in Body Mass Index, and the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among 18 Year Old Men in Austria Between the Years 1985 and 2000

The BMI data of four birth cohorts of totally 180,716 male 18 year old Austrian conscripts were documented in 5 year intervals starting 1985 and ending 2000 in order to analyze regional and social variety and a time trend of stature, body weight and BMI as well as the prevalence rates of overweight (defined as a BMI > 25.00) and obesity (BMI > 30.00). At first a marked time trend in BMI and overweight /obesity prevalence rates was found. Over the 15 years of investigation BMI increased significantly and the variation of BMI distribution increased too. The impact of educational level on BMI and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was also statistically significant. With increasing educational level BMI and the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity decreased significantly. Furthermore a significant regional variety in BMI and the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were found. BMI and the prevalence rates of obesity and overweight decreased significantly from the Eastern part of Austria to the Western part. Both observations, e.g. the social and regional variety of obesity and overweight prevalence, were true of all 4 birth cohorts. From these results we can conclude that obesity and overweight represent an increasing health problem among young Austrian males. This is especially true of young men of low social status living in the eastern part of Austria

Travelling Theatre Companies and Transnational Audiences. A Case Study of Croatia in the Nineteenth Century

For over a hundred and fifty years, the travelling German theatre companies were some of the most important mediators of the common cultural identity of the Habsburg Monarchy. By tirelessly travelling across the borders of the German-speaking area, they encouraged the emergence of a transnational theatre market in the German language, which extended beyond the borders of the empire, and shaped the theatrical taste of amulti-ethnic audience for decades. This article examines the political and social factors that promoted this transnational distribution of German theatre in the nineteenth century. Particular attention is paid to the linguistic identities of the empire and the model function that Vienna played in shaping the lifestyle and the imagined cultural communities throughout the monarchy. The case study of two Croatian theatre centres – Zagreb and Osijek – examines the role played by the travelling German theatre companies in the spread of the common cultural identity on the one hand and in thedevelopment of professional Croatian theatre on the other

Die Flugfähigkeit des Feld-Sandlaufkäfers Cicindela campestris Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) im alpinen Lebensraum

Viele Vertreter der Sandlaufkäfer (Familie Cicindelidae) gelten als flugfreudig. Dies zeigt sich vor allem bei Fluchtreaktionen, die sich zumeist in einem mehrere Meter weiten Flug äußern. Die vor allem bei Sonnenschein aktiven Tiere sind bezüglich ihres Verhaltens stark temperaturabhängig, was in dieser Käfergruppe für Tagesaktivität, Laufgeschwindigkeit und Prädationsrate beschrieben wurde. In einer Population des Feld-Sandlaufkäfers (Cicindela campestris) in den Zillertaler Alpen (Tirol) wurde beobachtet, dass die Tiere von Individuum zu Individuum unterschiedliche Flugweiten zeigten. Dies reichte von scheinbarer Flugunfähigkeit bis hin zu gutem Flugvermögen. Die vorliegende Arbeit geht der Frage nach, ob dieses heterogene Flugverhalten eine Konsequenz aus den niedrigen Temperaturen im Hochgebirge, oder jedoch die Folge einer Reduktion der Flugfähigkeit in dieser Population ist. Ort der Freiland-Datenaufnahme war der Obere Zemmgrund in den Zillertaler Alpen (2000-2500 m ü. NN), Tirol. Für die Flügelvermessungen wurden aus der dort heimi-schen Population 40 Individuen entnommen. Um diese mit Tieren aus dem Tiefland zu vergleichen, wurden vom Bisamberg, Niederösterreich, 22 Individuen gefangen und deren Flügel ebenfalls vermessen. Dies erfolgte jeweils mit der Software Lucia Image 5.1. Zusätzlich wurden die Körperlängen der Tiere erhoben. Um die Flugfähigkeit bei unterschiedlichen abiotischen Verhältnissen zu beobachten, wurden die am Aufsammlungsort gezeigten Flugweiten von 119 Tieren beobachtet und quantifiziert sowie die Körperoberflächen-, Bodenoberflächen-, Lufttemperaturen sowie die Beleuchtungsstärken am jeweiligen Fundort aufgenommen. Mit 26 schlecht und nicht fliegend aufgefundenen Käfern wurden unter Flug begünstigenden Bedingungen (hohe Temperaturen, starke Sonneneinstrahlung) Flugexperimente durchgeführt. Der Vergleich von beiden Populationen bezüglich Flügelfläche und Körperlänge zeigte durchwegs größere Ausmaße bei den Sandlaufkäfern des Tieflandes. Gleiches trifft auf die Weibchen gegenüber den Männchen zu. Da sich bei diesen Unterschieden jedoch beide Körpermaße direkt proportional zueinander verhalten, kann Brachypterie als Grund für das schlechtere Flugvermögen mancher Individuen im Hochgebirge ausgeschlossen werden. Die Korrelation der Messergebnisse von abiotischen Faktoren mit den Flugweiten ergab, dass die Flugfähigkeit der Sandlaufkäfer stark von den Temperaturbedingun-gen abhängig ist. 28 °C konnte als jene Lufttemperatur ermittelt werden, bei der alle Käfer voll flugfähig waren. Die empirischen Flugexperimente ergaben zudem, dass die meisten am Aufsammlungsort schlecht oder nicht fliegend gefundenen Individuen unter Flug begünstigenden Bedingungen (hohe Temperaturen, starke Sonneneinstrahlung) eine ebenfalls gut entwickelte Flugfähigkeit besaßen.Many species of Tiger Beetle (Cicindelidae) are known to take flight easily. This is especially evident in escape reactions - typically flights of several meters in distance. In general, their behaviour is strongly temperature-dependent. This fact has been described for daily activity, speed of movement and predation rate in this group of beetles. A distinct difference in flight distance between individuals has been observed in the past for a population of the Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris) in the Zillertal Alps (Tyrol, Austria). Flight performance ranges from apparent flight inability to good flight ability. The present study addresses the question of whether this heterogeneous flying be-haviour is a consequence of the low temperatures at those high altitudes, or due to a reduction of flight wings in this population. Field data was acquired at the Upper Zemmgrund in the Zillertal Alps, Tyrol. For measurements of the flight wings, 40 individuals were taken from this population. In order to compare them with animals from the lowlands, 22 individuals were also taken from a population located at the Bisamberg, Lower Austria. Measu-rements were taken with the software Lucia Image 5.1. Body lengths of the animals were measured as well. In order to obtain information about flight ability under different abiotic conditions, the flight distances of 119 individuals were quantified on location, along an elevational gradient between 2000 and 2500 m AMSL. The following set of parameters was also recorded: temperature of body surface, temperature of ground surface, ambient temperature and illumination. Flight experiments under conditions suggesting good flight ability (high temperatures, strong sunlight) were conducted with 26 beetles, which had shown poor flight ability or no flight at all at their capture location. The comparisons between both investigated populations concerning flight wing size and body length showed, that lowland beetles were consistently larger. The same applies to a difference between females and males. Due to the directly proportional correlation between both morphometric parameters, brachyptery can be excluded as a reason for reduced flight ability of respective individuals in the high montane population. Correlating the measured abiotic factors with the observed flight distances showed, that flight ability of the beetles is strongly dependent on temperature. All beetles were able to fly at an air temperature of 28 °C. The empirical flight experiments also revealed, that most of the individuals, which had shown poor flight ability or no flight on location, were able to fly normally under conditions suggesting good flight ability (high temperatures, strong sunlight)

Evaluierung der Zugangsregelungen nach § 71b, § 71c, § 71d UG 2002

Seit rund 15 Jahren gibt es an öffentlichen Universitäten in Österreich quantitative Zugangsregelungen. Diese Zugangsregelungen sind gemäß § 143 Abs. 42 Universitätsgesetz 2002 zu evaluieren

Voor niets gaat de zon 3.0 op: kwaliteitszorg- en accreditatiestelsels in enkele buitenlandse hogeronderwijssystemen en hun administratieve lasten

Deze studie gaat over externe kwaliteitszorg in vier omringende hoger onderwijssystemen, Vlaanderen, Duitsland, Oostenrijk en Noorwegen, en met name over hoe in die systemen de administratieve lasten worden ervaren en wat er wordt gedaan om die te beperke

Hotspots of land use change in Europe

Die Zweitveröffentlichung der Publikation wurde durch Studierende des Projektseminars "Open Access Publizieren an der HU" im Sommersemester 2017 betreut. Nachgenutzt gemäß den CC-Bestimmungen des Lizenzgebers bzw. einer im Dokument selbst enthaltenen CC-Lizenz.Assessing changes in the extent and management intensity of land use is crucial to understanding land-system dynamics and their environmental and social outcomes. Yet, changes in the spatial patterns of land management intensity, and thus how they might relate to changes in the extent of land uses, remains unclear for many world regions.Wecompiled and analyzed high-resolution, spatiallyexplicit land-use change indicators capturing changes in both the extent and management intensity of cropland, grazing land, forests, and urban areas for all of Europe for the period 1990–2006. Based on these indicators, we identified hotspots of change and explored the spatial concordance of area versus intensity changes.Wefound a clear East–West divide with regard to agriculture, with stronger cropland declines and lower management intensity in the East compared to the West. Yet, these patterns were not uniform and diverging patterns of intensification in areas highly suitable for farming, and disintensification and cropland contraction in more marginal areas emerged. Despite the moderate overall rates of change, many regions in Europe fell into at least one land-use change hotspot during 1990–2006, often related to a spatial reorganization of land use (i.e., co-occurring area decline and intensification or co-occurring area increase and disintensification). Our analyses highlighted the diverse spatial patterns and heterogeneity of land-use changes in Europe, and the importance of jointly considering changes in the extent and management intensity of land use, as well as feedbacks among land-use sectors. Given this spatial differentiation of land-use change, and thus its environmental impacts, spatially-explicit assessments of land-use dynamics are important for context-specific, regionalized land-use policy making.Peer Reviewe

The materiality of mathematics: presenting mathematics at the blackboard

Sociology has been accused of neglecting the importance of material things in human life and the material aspects of social practices. Efforts to correct this have recently been made, with a growing concern to demonstrate the materiality of social organization, not least through attention to objects and the body.As a result, there have been a plethora of studies reporting the social construction and effects of a variety of material objects as well as studies that have explored the material dimensions of a diversity of practices. In different ways these studies have questioned the Cartesian dualism of a strict separation of ‘mind’ and ‘body’. However, it could be argued that the idea of the mind as immaterial has not been entirely banished and lingers when it comes to discussing abstract thinking and reasoning. The aim of this article is to extend the material turn to abstract thought, using mathematics as a paradigmatic example. This paper explores how writing mathematics (on paper, blackboards, or even in the air) is indispensable for doing and thinking mathematics.The paper is based on video recordings of lectures in formal logic and investigates how mathematics is presented at the blackboard. The paper discusses the iconic character of blackboards in mathematics and describes in detail a number of inscription practices of presenting mathematics at the blackboard (such as the use of lines and boxes, the designation of particular regions for specific mathematical purposes, as well as creating an ‘architecture’ visualizing the overall structure of the proof). The paper argues that doing mathematics really is ‘thinking with eyes and hands’ (Latour 1986). Thinking in mathematics is inextricably interwoven with writing mathematics

"Harmonische Landschaften" - Bevölkerung und Kulturlandschaft in der deutschprachigen Geographie am Beispiel der Region Südtirol-Trentino

Mit dem Beitritt Österreichs zur Europäischen Union 1995 sowie der 1992 vorangegangenen Streitbeilegungserklärung zwischen Österreich und Italien hätte die seit dem Ausgang des Ersten Weltkrieges anhängige politische Zugehörigkeits‐ und Grenzdiskussion um Südtirol endgültig beendet werden sollen. Ein 2002 zwischen der Landesregierung in Bozen und dem Südtiroler Alpenverein in Angriff genommenes groß angelegtes Projekt, das eine einheitliche Beschilderung und Digitalisierung des fast 16.000 km langen Wegenetzes der Provinz vorsah, musste 2009 nach einer heftig geführten Mediendiskussion um die Zweisprachigkeit der Toponyme zwischen Alpenverein, Club Alpino Italiano und den Tageszeitungen Alto Adige sowie Dolomiten vorläufig eingestellt werden. Seither ist die Frage nach einer Lösung der Beschriftung der mehr als 70.000 Schilder politisch anhängig. Diese Situation war jedoch keineswegs aus dem Nichts entstanden. Die Diskussion um die nationale Zugehörigkeit dieses Teils der Ostalpen reicht bis ins ausgehende 19. Jahrhundert zurück und weist zahlreiche, je nach zeitlichem Zugriff unterschiedlich ausgestaltete Diskursstränge auf. Bei der Konstruktion des Kulturraumes 'Tirol-Südtirol' als Teil der 'Deutschen Alpen', dessen nationaler Aufladung und Tradition bis in die Gegenwart herauf kommt Geographen deutscher wie österreichischer Universitäten eine entscheidende, in der Öffentlichkeit zumeist in ihrer Bedeutung kaum wahrgenommene Rolle zu. Die kritische Diskussion derartiger Raumnarrative innerhalb der Geographie ist allerdings wenig ausgeprägt und wurde in den letzten Jahren vorwiegend von außerhalb geführt.The political discussion on the borders of South Tyrol and where it belongs to had been going on since the end of the First World War. It should have been settled once and for all when Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and Austria and Italy proclaimed the settlement to their dispute in 1992. Unfortunately, a major project in 2002 launched by the state government in Bozen and the Südtiroler Alpenverein for providing uniform signs and digitising the network of paths stretching almost 16,000 km in this province had to be temporarily stopped in 2009. The cause was a vehement discussion in the media having to do with the bilingualism of the toponymes between Alpenverein, Club Alpino Italiano and the dailies Alto Adige and Dolomiten. Since this time, the issue of finding a solution to lettering more than 70,000 signs has been on the political agenda. However, this situation did not just come out of nowhere. The discussion of where this part of the Eastern Alps belongs goes back as far as the end of the 19th century and has a wide range of differently formed discursive skeins depending upon the temporal framework. Although their significance is hardly recognised in the public sphere, geographers at German and Austrian universities have a decisive role to play in constructing the cultural sphere of "Tyrol-South Tyrol" as a component of the 'German Alps' whose national charging and tradition have been coming up right into the present. The critical discussion of these spatial narratives within geography is hardly developed and in the last few years it has been largely carried out from outside

Slavenska božanstva i pretkršćanska sakralna interpretacija krajolika na austrijskom tlu

In diesem Beitrag werden aus Österreich stammende geographische Namen besprochen, die sich auf die sakrale andschaftsinterpretation der heidnischen Slaven beziehen könnten, die im Mittelalter einen Teil der Bevölkerung Ostösterreichs ausgemacht und dort auch sonst viele onomastische Spuren hinterlassen haben. Manche der hier genannten Toponyme, Mikrotoponyme, Oro- und Hydronyme sind direkt aus dem Slavischen ins Deutsche übernommen, andere könnten Übersetzungen slavischer Namen ins Deutsche sein und wieder andere deutsche Erinnerungen an slavisches Heidentum zum Ausdruck bringen.U ovome se članku promatraju toponimi, mikrotoponimi, oronimi i hidronimi koji bi mogli ukazati na sakralnu interpretaciju krajolika kroz slavensko pučanstvo koje je u srednjem vijeku živjelo u istočnom dijelu Austrije, gdje je ostavilo veoma mnogo onomastičkih tragova. Neka su ovdje promatrana imena očito preuzeta iz slavenskoga jezika u njemački, druga bi mogla biti prijevodima iz slavenskoga u njemački, a treći bi tip imena mogle biti potvrde njemačkoga sjećanja o slavenskom životu i vjeri na austrijskome tlu