The expressionist debate in the light of the concerns of postmodernity : Lukacs, Brecht, Lyotard and Habermas

This dissertation investigates the debate between Georg Lukács and Bertolt Brecht in the 1930s, known as the Expressionist Debate and the controversy between Jean-Francais Lyotard and Juergen Habermas. which took place in the 1980s. The two debates. both of which took place among writers of the Left are juxtaposed in order to shed more light on the issues at stake in the Expressionist Debate when looked at in the light of postmodern concerns. The dissertation is based on selected texts by each of the four writers. Bibliography: pages 82-85

Narrative strategies in the gospel according to Luke : a Bakhtinian exploration

Includes bibliographical references (leaves [215]-233).Using the theory of the twentieth century Russian literary scholar and linguist, Mikhail Bakhtin, this thesis has set out to explore narrative strategy in the Gospel of Luke, the aim being to consider how this would affect a generic reading, and what implications this would have in assessing the discourse of this text. Bakhtin classifies early Christian writings as part of the Menippea, a collective name for a body of parodying-travestying literature ofthe Graeco-Roman period. In contrast to the classical genres of the mainstream, epic, love-poetry and tragedy, Bakhtin rates Menippean texts as being essentially dialogic, engaged in exploring ideas of life and death from the perspective of a carnivalistic view ofthe world. He uses the genre of the Greek Romance, seen by him as a forerunner of the European novel, to demonstrate some of his theory. Having selected the Romance, Chaereas and Callirhoe, by Chariton, as a comparative text to the Gospel of Luke, both texts are explored in terms of the Bakhtinian concepts of chronotope, carnival, and intertextuality

Evaluation of a Western training concept for futher education in China

Der Beitrag "Evaluation of a Western training concept for further education in China" von Bettina Fischer und Birgitta Kopp von der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München beschäftigt sich mit der Frage der Kulturabhängigkeit von Vermittlungsmethoden im Trainingsbereich. Anhand des Trainings eines deutschen Automobilherstellers für chinesische Mitarbeiter untersuchen die Autorinnen Unterschiede zwischen westlichen und chinesischen Lerngewohnheiten und entwicklen Ansätze zur Adaption von Trainings je nach kulturellem Lernerkontext.This paper deals with the evaluation of a western training concept used by a German automobile organization for further education in China. As education in China is much more teacher-centered than in Western countries, the question for analysis is whether Chinese learners can adapt their learning style when faced with a learner-centered teaching style. We focused on three main aspects in which western training concepts differ from those used in China: collaborative learning, self-regulated learning and instructional support. Results showed that Chinese learners were able to adapt to a different teaching style, even though they were somewhat overtaxed by self-regulated and collaborative learning. Therefore, instructional support is very important for their learning success. Further on, there are first hints how to improve the training concept considering the cultural differences

Wampar–English Dictionary with an English–Wampar finder list

This ethnographic dictionary is the result of Hans Fischer's long-term fieldwork among the Wampar, who occupy the middle Markham Valley in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Their language, Dzob Wampar, belongs to the Markham family of the Austronesian languages. Today most Wampar speak not only Wampar but also PNG’s lingua franca, Tok Pisin. Six decades of Wampar research has documented the extent and speed of change in the region. Today, mining, migration and the commodification of land are accelerating the pace of change in Wampar communities, resulting in great individual differences in knowledge of the vernacular. This dictionary covers largely forgotten Wampar expressions as well as loanwords from German and Jabêm that have become part of everyday language. Most entries contain example sentences from original Wampar texts. The dictionary is complemented by an overview of ethnographic research among Wampar, a sketch of Wampar grammar, a bibliography and an English-to-Wampar finder list

SoxNeuro orchestrates central nervous system specification and differentiation in Drosophila and is only partially redundant with Dichaete.

BACKGROUND: Sox proteins encompass an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors with critical roles in animal development and stem cell biology. In common with vertebrates, the Drosophila group B proteins SoxNeuro and Dichaete are involved in central nervous system development, where they play both similar and unique roles in gene regulation. Sox genes show extensive functional redundancy across metazoans, but the molecular basis underpinning functional compensation mechanisms at the genomic level are currently unknown. RESULTS: Using a combination of genome-wide binding analysis and gene expression profiling, we show that SoxNeuro directs embryonic neural development from the early specification of neuroblasts through to the terminal differentiation of neurons and glia. To address the issue of functional redundancy and compensation at a genomic level, we compare SoxNeuro and Dichaete binding, identifying common and independent binding events in wild-type conditions, as well as instances of compensation and loss of binding in mutant backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS: We find that early aspects of group B Sox functions in the central nervous system, such as stem cell maintenance and dorsoventral patterning, are highly conserved. However, in contrast to vertebrates, we find that Drosophila group B1 proteins also play prominent roles during later aspects of neural morphogenesis. Our analysis of the functional relationship between SoxNeuro and Dichaete uncovers evidence for redundant and independent functions for each protein, along with unexpected examples of compensation and interdependency, thus providing new insights into the general issue of transcription factor functional redundancy

Time resolved studies of H2+ dissociation with phase-stabilized laser pulses

In the course of this thesis, experimental studies on the dissociation of H2+ (H2+ -> p + H) in ultrashort laser pulses with a stabilized carrier-envelope phase (CEP) were carried out. In singlepulse measurements, the ability to control the emission direction of low energetic protons, i.e. the localization of the bound electron at one of the nuclei after dissociation, by the CEP was demonstrated. The coincident detection of the emitted protons and electrons and the measurement of their three-dimensional momentum vectors with a reaction microscope allowed to clarify the localization mechanism. Further control was achieved by a pump-control scheme with two timedelayed CEP-stabilized laser pulses. Here the neutral H2 molecule was ionized in the first pulse and dissociation was induced by the second pulse. Electron localization was shown to depend on the properties of the bound nuclear wave packet in H+2 at the time the control pulse is applied, demonstrating the ability to use the shape and dynamics of the nuclear wave packet as control parameters. Wave packet simulations were performed reproducing qualitatively the experimental results of the single and the two-pulse measurements. For both control schemes, intuitive models are presented, which qualitatively explain the main features of the obtained results

Kippeffekt in Schulklassen

Eine geringe Anzahl fremdsprachiger Kinder in einer Schulklasse scheint kein Problem darzustellen. Fakt ist aber, dass immer mehr Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund die Schule besuchen. Es drängt sich nun die Frage auf wie viele Migrantenkinder eine Klasse verträgt und wann der Punkt erreicht ist, wo es „kippt“ und sich der Anteil jener Kinder negativ auf den Schulerfolg auszuwirken scheint. Um dies beantworten zu können, wird ausgehend von der Definition Moser und Rhyn (2000, S.92) wonach ein Kippeffekt dann auftritt, „wenn sich ab einem bestimmten Anteil fremdsprachiger Kinder in einer Schulklasse die Schulleistungen deutlich verschlechtern“, nach möglichen Bedingungen zur Entstehung von Kippeffekten in Schulklassen in der deutschsprachigen Literatur gesucht. Da die Problematik der steigenden Anzahl der Kinder mit Migrationshintergund zwar in einigen Studien behandelt wird, aber der Kippeffekt im deutschsprachigen Raum in dieser Weise bisher nur von Moser und Rhyn beschrieben worden ist, erscheint die Anwendung des methodischen Ansatzes der Sekundäranalyse am sinnvollsten, da sie mit bereits erhobenem Datenmaterial arbeitet, welches unter einem neuen Gesichtspunkt analysiert wird. Die hier vorliegende Arbeit versteht sich daher als theoretische Debatte zu einem Thema, welches im deutschsprachigen Raum noch kaum Beachtung gefunden hat. Nach Auswertung aller vorliegenden Studien wird deutlich, dass das Entstehen von Kippeffekten in Schulklassen durch ein mehrdimensionales Modell erklärt werden kann. Dieses Modell beschreibt drei Bereiche, die einen Einfluss auf die Schulleistungen haben können. Es wirken sowohl individuelle Hintergrundmerkmale der Schüler als auch Kompositionseffekte und Effekte der Institution auf die Schulleistungen. Daher kann nicht ausschließlich von der Fremdsprachigkeit als Problem gesprochen werden, sondern vielmehr von einem Wechselspiel ungünstiger Bedingungen, die Migrantenkinder oft mit sich bringen. Werden in der Literatur häufig die Kinder zum Problemträger gemacht, wird bei einer genauen Auseinandersetzung mit den wissenschaftlichen Publikationen deutlich, dass vielmehr auch das differenzierte Schulsystem als Ursache für die schlechteren Schulleistungen der Migrantenkinder auszumachen ist. Bringen Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund ungünstige Voraussetzungen mit, werden diese häufig durch das selektive Schulsystem noch verstärkt. Migrantenkinder, die bereits aufgrund ihrer Herkunft benachteiligt sind – sei es durch kulturelle oder finanzielle Ressourcen der Familie - werden meist den weniger anspruchsvollen Schultypen, wie zum Beispiel Hauptschulen oder Mittelschulen zugewiesen, was zu einer mehrfachen Benachteiligung dieser Schüler und zu einer Überrepräsentation der Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund in jenen Schultypen führt. Neben den individuellen Voraussetzungen und Effekten der Institution spielen Kompositionseffekte beim Entstehen von Kippeffekten eine große Rolle. Sie sind auf die Zusammensetzung der Schülerschaft zurückzuführen. Je nachdem wie Fremdsprachigkeit definiert wird, kann ein Kippeffekt früher oder später nachgewiesen werden. Aus den meisten Studien geht hervor, dass bei Kontrolle aller anderen Kompositionseffekte (soziale Risikofaktoren, lernbiographische Belastungsfaktoren u.a.) der Anteil der Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund nicht mehr signifikant ist. Dies ist ein weiteres Indiz, dass das Auftreten der schlechteren Schulleistungen nicht ausschließlich auf den Faktor der Fremdsprachigkeit zurückzuführen ist, sondern sich hier ein viel komplexeres Zusammenspiel mehrerer Faktoren abzeichnet. Ist die Summe und Komplexität der Probleme größer als die Kapazität und Kompetenz des lokalen Schulsystems kippt das interne Gleichgewicht. Daher ist es von großer Brisanz sich mit dieser Problematik verstärkt auseinander zu setzen, um dem Auftreten von Kippeffekten entgegenwirken zu können.It appears to be no problem if a small number of children in one school class speak a foreign mother tongue. However, it is a fact that more and more children with a migratory background are attending school. In this context, the question arises how many children with a migratory background can be absorbed by one class and when the “tipping point” is reached and the proportion of these children appears to affect the performance of the class negatively. In order to answer this question, the present work aims to identify possible conditions for the occurrence of tipping point effects in school classes that have been discussed in German-speaking literature. The work is based on the definition by Moser und Rhyn (2000, p. 92), which states that a tipping point effect occurs “when school performance deteriorates considerably once the number of children with a foreign mother tongue has reached a certain proportion”. Although several studies address the problem that the numbers of children with a migratory background are rising, in the German-speaking area the tipping point effect has only been described by Moser und Rhyn so far. Therefore it appears most useful to pursue the methodical approach of the secondary data analysis as it draws on already existing data, which is analysed from a novel perspective. Hence the present work is intended as a theoretical discussion of an issue which has received scant academic attention in the German-speaking area up to now. The results of the analysis of all existing studies show that the occurrence of tipping point effects in school classes can be explained by means of a multidimensional model. This model specifies three dimensions which can affect school performance. School performance is affected by attributes related to the students´ individual backgrounds, by compositional effects, and by effects related to the institution. Consequently the problem cannot be traced back exclusively to the foreign mother tongue(s) of students, but rather to an interplay of unfavourable conditions that frequently characterise the situation of children with a migratory background. While in the literature the problem is frequently ascribed to the children, a detailed analysis of the scholarly publications reveals that it is also the differentiated educational system which accounts for the inferior school performance of children with a migratory background. Where children start out with unfavourable conditions, these are frequently reinforced by the selective educational system. Children from a migratory background, who are already at a disadvantage owing to their family background – be it in terms of culture or in terms of financial resources – are frequently assigned to the less demanding types of schools, such as the secondary general school. This leads to these students being put at a disadvantage in several ways and to children with a migratory background being overrepresented in these types of schools. Besides individual attributes and effects exercised by the institution, compositional effects play a major part in the occurrence of tipping point effects. These result from the composition of the group of students. Depending on how the attribute of speaking a foreign mother tongue is defined, a tipping point effect can be shown to occur sooner or later. Most studies indicate that the proportion of children with a migratory background is no longer significant when all other compositional effects are controlled (e.g. social risks, factors that affect the ability to learn, etc.). This provides further indication that inferior school performance cannot exclusively be traced back to students´ foreign mother tongues, but rather that a much more complex interplay of several factors is at work. Where the sum and the complexity of the problems exceed the capacity and the competence of the local school system, the internal balance collapses. Therefore it appears highly relevant to devote more attention to this issue in order to be able to counteract the occurrence of tipping point effects

Chromatin accessibility plays a key role in selective targeting of Hox proteins.

BACKGROUND: Hox transcription factors specify segmental diversity along the anterior-posterior body axis in metazoans. While the different Hox family members show clear functional specificity in vivo, they all show similar binding specificity in vitro and a satisfactory understanding of in vivo Hox target selectivity is still lacking. RESULTS: Using transient transfection in Kc167 cells, we systematically analyze the binding of all eight Drosophila Hox proteins. We find that Hox proteins show considerable binding selectivity in vivo even in the absence of canonical Hox cofactors Extradenticle and Homothorax. Hox binding selectivity is strongly associated with chromatin accessibility, being highest in less accessible chromatin. Individual Hox proteins exhibit different propensities to bind less accessible chromatin, and high binding selectivity is associated with high-affinity binding regions, leading to a model where Hox proteins derive binding selectivity through affinity-based competition with nucleosomes. Extradenticle/Homothorax cofactors generally facilitate Hox binding, promoting binding to regions in less accessible chromatin but with little effect on the overall selectivity of Hox targeting. These cofactors collaborate with Hox proteins in opening chromatin, in contrast to the pioneer factor, Glial cells missing, which facilitates Hox binding by independently generating accessible chromatin regions. CONCLUSIONS: These studies indicate that chromatin accessibility plays a key role in Hox selectivity. We propose that relative chromatin accessibility provides a basis for subtle differences in binding specificity and affinity to generate significantly different sets of in vivo genomic targets for different Hox proteins.The work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grant BB/M007081/1

Einfluss von Cadmium und Kupferoxid-Nanopartikeln auf die genomische Stabilität: Identifizierung der Wirkmechanismen auf Basis von Genexpressionsprofilen mittels High-Throughput RT-qPCR

Genexpressionsanalysen werden zunehmend als prädiktives Testsystem eingesetzt, um adverse Wirkungen von toxischen Substanzen aufzuklären. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde eine quantitative High-Throughput RT-qPCR Technik etabliert, mit der Wirkmechanismen von Substanzen anhand einer Beeinflussung der genomischen Stabilität identifiziert werden können. Damit wurden zeit- und konzentrationsabhängige Genexpressionsprofile mit dem Humankanzerogen Cadmium und Kupferoxid-Nanopartikeln erstellt