Ganztagsgrundschulen auf dem Weg zu Konzepten individueller Förderung. Ein Fortbildungsbaustein des BLK-Verbundprojekts "Lernen für den GanzTag"

Individuelle Förderung ist ein zentraler Anspruch schulischer Bildung und Erziehung, für den Ganztagsschulen besonders günstige Rahmenbedingungen ermöglichen. Dennoch ergeben sich bei der Entwicklung schulspezifischer Konzepte individueller Förderung in Offenen Ganztagsgrundschulen (OGS) aus Sicht der Organisationsentwicklung einige Herausforderungen, für deren Bearbeitung das Modul „Individuelle Förderung in der Offenen Ganztagsschule im Primarbereich“ des BLK-Verbundprojekts „Lernen für den GanzTag“ eine Handreichung sein will. (DIPF/Orig.

Gas inflows towards the nucleus of NGC1358

We use optical spectra from the inner 1.8 $\times$ 2.5kpc$^2$ of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC1358, obtained with the GMOS integral field spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope at a spatial resolution of $\approx$ 165pc, to assess the feeding and feedback processes in this nearby active galaxy. Five gaseous kinematical components are observed in the emission line profiles. One of the components is present in the entire field-of-view and we interpret it as due to gas rotating in the disk of the galaxy. Three of the remaining components we interpret as associated to active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback: a compact unresolved outflow in the inner 1 arcsec and two gas clouds observed at opposite sides of the nucleus, which we propose have been ejected in a previous AGN burst. The disk component velocity field is strongly disturbed by a large scale bar. The subtraction of a velocity model combining both rotation and bar flows reveals three kinematic nuclear spiral arms: two in inflow and one in outflow. We estimate the mass inflow rate in the inner 180pc obtaining $\dot{M}_{in}$ $\approx$ 1.5 $\times 10^{-2}$M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$, about 160 times larger than the accretion rate necessary to power this AGN.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1701.0086

Transfer as a reciprocal process: How to foster receptivity to results of transdisciplinary research

Transdisciplinary research (TDR) seeks to address real-world problems and aims to be socially transformative. This normative objective extends beyond particular TDR projects, as real-world problems are embedded in concrete contexts but, at the same time, are also related to wider societal challenges that are not restricted to one context. Therefore, TDR generally entails transfer of knowledge and results to other contexts. However, the TDR discourse has mainly treated transfer efforts from the perspective of scientific generalization, translation and packaging of knowledge. Within this understanding of transfer, little attention has been paid to interplay between contexts and the role of new contexts themselves. This article is based on qualitative explorative research on four TDR projects. Its results were iteratively derived through project analysis, reflection on insights from the literature and discussions with TDR experts. We propose that transfer is a complex reciprocal process in which different types of knowledge are provided and transferred to other contexts, where knowledge is adapted, enriched and modified. In addition to project researchers, actors in other (pick-up) contexts also play an important role for successful transfer and appropriation of TDR results. Generating transfer potential within the duration of a project depends on being aware of potential pick-up contexts. To address the interdependent aspects of transfer (results, mediation, and appropriation in other contexts), we present a comprehensive model outlining TDR transfer processes. To support projects seeking to raise their transfer potential in a more conscious manner, we also formulate three overarching recommendations: 1) process results for transfer adequately, 2) identify and support intermediaries and, 3) increase awareness of and address other contexts. Considering these recommendations while also being aware of their interdependence may increase potential for transfer of knowledge and results to other contexts. Our conceptual understanding acknowledges the complexity and non-linearity of endeavors to take advantage of case-specifically gained knowledge and results in other contexts or at other scales

Societal effects of transdisciplinary sustainability research—How can they be strengthened during the research process?

Transdisciplinary sustainability research aims to mitigate or to solve complex societal problems and advance the production of scientific knowledge. Reflexive approaches to transdisciplinary research processes are outlined to systematically strengthen the potential for societal effectiveness. So far, it is rare to find empirically based analyses of the links between the quality of the research process and the methods applied on the one hand and the effects achieved on the other. This paper thus addresses the issue of heightening the societal effects of transdisciplinary sustainability research. The objective is to explore ways of consciously promoting societal effectiveness in transdisciplinary research. We argue that these possibilities evolve at the intersection between the general project framework and an adaptive shaping of transdisciplinary research processes. A reflexive approach of this kind proactively considers the dynamics of interests and concerns, roles and responsibilities, the collaboration culture within a project, and the connectivity to the context of action addressed. Its deployment presupposes an appreciation of the basic conditions, i.e. the historical development of the respective problem, the heterogeneity of actors involved, the general environment and, finally, the funding conditions

Feeding and Feedback in the Inner Kiloparsec of the Active Galaxy NGC2110

We present two-dimensional gaseous kinematics of the inner 1.1 x 1.6kpc^2 of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC2110, from optical spectra obtained with the GMOS integral field spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope at a spatial resolution of 100pc. Gas emission is observed over the whole field-of-view, with complex - and frequently double - emission-line profiles. We have identified four components in the emitting gas, according to their velocity dispersion (sigma), which we refer to as: (1) warm gas disk (sigma = 100-220km/s); (2) cold gas disk (sigma = 60-90km/s); (3) nuclear component (sigma = 220-600km/s); and (4) northern cloud (sigma = 60-80km/s). Both the cold and warm disk components are dominated by rotation and have similar gas densities, but the cold gas disk has lower velocity dispersions and reaches higher rotation velocities. We attribute the warm gas disk to a thick gas layer which encompasses the cold disk as observed in some edge-on spiral galaxies. After subtraction of a rotation model from the cold disk velocity field, we observe excess blueshifts of 50km/s in the far side of the galaxy as well as similar excess redshifts in the near side. These residuals can be interpreted as due to nuclear inflow in the cold gas, with an estimated ionized gas mass inflow rate of 2.2 x 10^(-2)Msun/yr. We have also subtracted a rotating model from the warm disk velocity field and found excess blueshifts of 100km/s to the SW of the nucleus and excess redshifts of 40km/s to the NE, which we attribute to gas disturbed by an interaction with a nuclear spherical outflow. This nuclear outflow is the origin of the nuclear component observed within the inner 300pc and it has a mass outflow rate of 0.9Msun/yr. In a region between 1" and 4" north of the nucleus we find a new low sigma component of ionized gas which we attribute to a high latitude cloud photoionized by the nuclear source.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in MNRA

Graph4Med: a web application and a graph database for visualizing and analyzing medical databases

Background: Medical databases normally contain large amounts of data in a variety of forms. Although they grant significant insights into diagnosis and treatment, implementing data exploration into current medical databases is challenging since these are often based on a relational schema and cannot be used to easily extract information for cohort analysis and visualization. As a consequence, valuable information regarding cohort distribution or patient similarity may be missed. With the rapid advancement of biomedical technologies, new forms of data from methods such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or chromosome microarray (array CGH) are constantly being generated; hence it can be expected that the amount and complexity of medical data will rise and bring relational database systems to a limit. Description: We present Graph4Med, a web application that relies on a graph database obtained by transforming a relational database. Graph4Med provides a straightforward visualization and analysis of a selected patient cohort. Our use case is a database of pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Along routine patients’ health records it also contains results of latest technologies such as NGS data. We developed a suitable graph data schema to convert the relational data into a graph data structure and store it in Neo4j. We used NeoDash to build a dashboard for querying and displaying patients’ cohort analysis. This way our tool (1) quickly displays the overview of patients’ cohort information such as distributions of gender, age, mutations (fusions), diagnosis; (2) provides mutation (fusion) based similarity search and display in a maneuverable graph; (3) generates an interactive graph of any selected patient and facilitates the identification of interesting patterns among patients. Conclusion: We demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of a graph database for storing and querying medical databases. Our dashboard allows a fast and interactive analysis and visualization of complex medical data. It is especially useful for patients similarity search based on mutations (fusions), of which vast amounts of data have been generated by NGS in recent years. It can discover relationships and patterns in patients cohorts that are normally hard to grasp. Expanding Graph4Med to more medical databases will bring novel insights into diagnostic and research

The complex gas kinematics in the nucleus of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1386: rotation, outflows and inflows

We present optical integral field spectroscopy of the circum-nuclear gas of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1386. The data cover the central 7$^{\prime\prime} \times 9^{\prime\prime}$ (530 $\times$ 680 pc) at a spatial resolution of 0.9" (68 pc), and the spectral range 5700-7000 \AA\ at a resolution of 66 km s$^{-1}$. The line emission is dominated by a bright central component, with two lobes extending $\approx$ 3$^{\prime\prime}$ north and south of the nucleus. We identify three main kinematic components. The first has low velocity dispersion ($\bar \sigma \approx$ 90 km s$^{-1}$), extends over the whole field-of-view, and has a velocity field consistent with gas rotating in the galaxy disk. We interpret the lobes as resulting from photoionization of disk gas in regions where the AGN radiation cones intercept the disk. The second has higher velocity dispersion ($\bar \sigma \approx$ 200 km s$^{-1}$) and is observed in the inner 150 pc around the continuum peak. This component is double peaked, with redshifted and blueshifted components separated by $\approx$ 500 km s$^{-1}$. Together with previous HST imaging, these features suggest the presence of a bipolar outflow for which we estimate a mass outflow rate of $\mathrm{\dot M} \gtrsim$ 0.1 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The third component is revealed by velocity residuals associated with enhanced velocity dispersion and suggests that outflow and/or rotation is occurring approximately in the equatorial plane of the torus. A second system of velocity residuals may indicate the presence of streaming motions along dusty spirals in the disk.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables, interesting results, accepted for publication in Ap

Outflows in the Narrow Line Region of Bright Seyfert Galaxies - I: GMOS-IFU Data

We present two-dimensional maps of emission-line fluxes and kinematics, as well as of the stellar kinematics of the central few kpc of five bright nearby Seyfert galaxies -- Mrk\,6, Mrk\,79, Mrk\,348, Mrk\,607 and Mrk\,1058 -- obtained from observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) Integral Field Unit (IFU) on the Gemini North Telescope. The data cover the inner 3\farcs5$\times$5\farcs0 -- corresponding to physical scales in the range 0.6$\times$0.9 to 1.5$\times$2.2\,kpc$^2$ -- at a spatial resolution ranging from 110 to 280 pc with a spectral coverage of 4300 -- 7100\,\AA\ and velocity resolution of $\approx$ 90\,km\,s$^{-1}$. The gas excitation is Seyfert like everywhere but show excitation, but show excitation gradients that are correlated with the gas kinematics, reddening and/or the gas density. The gas kinematics show in all cases two components: a rotation one similar to that observed in the stellar velocity field, and an outflow component. In the case of Mrk607, the gas is counter-rotating relative to the stars. Enhanced gas velocity dispersion is observed in association to the outflows according to two patterns: at the locations of the highest outflow velocities along the ionization axis or perpendicularly to it in a strip centered at the nucleus that we attribute to an equatorial outflow. Bipolar outflows are observed in Mrk\,348 and Mrk\,79, while in Mrk\,1058 only the blueshifted part is clearly observed, while in the cases of Mrk\,6 and Mrk\,607 the geometry of the outflow needs further constraints from modeling to be presented in a forthcoming study, where the mass flow rate and powers will also be obtained.Comment: 20 pages, accepted by MNRA

Recent Developments

Context. Tracing nuclear inflows and outflows in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), determining the mass of gas involved in them, and their impact on the host galaxy and nuclear black hole requires 3D imaging studies of both the ionized and molecular gas. Aims. We map the distribution and kinematics of molecular and ionized gas in a sample of active galaxies to quantify the nuclear inflows and outflows. Here, we analyze the nuclear kinematics of NGC 1566 via ALMA observations of the CO J:2-1 emission at 24 pc spatial and ∼2.6 km s−1 spectral resolution, and Gemini-GMOS/IFU observations of ionized gas emission lines and stellar absorption lines at similar spatial resolution, and 123 km s−1 of intrinsic spectral resolution. Methods. The morphology and kinematics of stellar, molecular (CO), and ionized ([N II]) emission lines are compared to the expectations from rotation, outflows, and streaming inflows. Results. While both ionized and molecular gas show rotation signatures, there are significant non-circular motions in the innermost 200 pc and along spiral arms in the central kpc (CO). The nucleus shows a double-peaked CO profile (full width at zero intensity of 200 km s−1), and prominent (∼80 km s−1) blue- and redshifted lobes are found along the minor axis in the inner arcseconds. Perturbations by the large-scale bar can qualitatively explain all features in the observed velocity field. We thus favor the presence of a molecular outflow in the disk with true velocities of ∼180 km s−1 in the nucleus and decelerating to 0 by ∼72 pc. The implied molecular outflow rate is 5.6 M⊙ yr−1, with this gas accumulating in the nuclear 2″ arms. The ionized gas kinematics support an interpretation of a similar but more spherical outflow in the inner 100 pc, with no signs of deceleration. There is some evidence of streaming inflows of ∼50 km s−1 along specific spiral arms, and the estimated molecular mass inflow rate, ∼0.1 M⊙ yr−1, is significantly higher than the SMBH accretion rate (ṁ = 4.8 × 10−5 M⊙ yr−1)

Predictors of Differences in Vitamin D Levels in Children and Adolescents and Their Relation to Endurance Performance

Aims: The present study investigated whether sociodemographic factorsand physical activity (PA) are associated with differences in serum25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and whether these differences areassociated with varying levels of endurance performance and body massindex (BMI) in children and adolescents. Subjects and Methods: Pathanalyses were based on data of a nationwide, cross-sectional GermanHealth Interview and Examination Survey for Children (KiGGS; 2003 until2006) for 25(OH)D and the embedded ‘motor function module’ for PA andendurance performance. The data were collected from 3,437 children andadolescents aged 6-17 years clustered in three age groups: 6-10, 11-13and 14-17 years. Results: PA is affected by socioeconomic status and(non-)immigration background, 25(OH)D is only affected by(non-)immigration background and only in childhood. PA and 25(OH)D werenot associated in those aged 11-13 years. In adolescence, lower 25(OH)Dlevels are associated with lower endurance performance and a higher BMI.Conclusions: Our results did not reveal a universally significant effectof sociodemographic factors on 25(OH)D. The association between 25(OH)Dand endurance performance might reflect the effects of 25(OH)D on musclefunction. Predictors of 25(OH)D status other than sunlight exposure andits health effects in the pediatric age group should be exploredfurther