348 research outputs found
Speaking Acquaintances or Helpers in Need: Participation in Civic Associations and Individual Social Capital
It is widely believed that civic associations are capable to produce social capital, here understood as an individual asset resulting from relations of mutual support and assistance. Although hardly anybody denies that socializing is widespread in many civic associations, it still remains to be shown that this socializing provides a genuine commitment to support. This paper explores the relationship between involvement in civic organizations and social support. The data analysed come from a nation-wide survey âOrganized Sport and Social CapitalâRevisitedâ (OSSCAR) representing the adult population in Germany. Findings show that participation in civic associations is associated with higher levels of social support. This effect is stronger for active participants and weaker for passive members. Path analyses further indicate that this effect is mediated by a personâs sociability orientations as well as her commitment to prosocial values. These findings help providing a more nuanced understanding of mechanisms of social capital formation in civic associations.Justus-Liebig-UniversitĂ€t GieĂen (3114)Peer Reviewe
In whom do we trust? The level and radius of social trust among sport club members
This paper refers to the widespread notion that voluntary (sport) organizations produce social
capital, popularized through the works of Robert D. Putnam, and compares social trust levels
of sport club members with members in other voluntary associations and non-members. We
differentiate between in-group trust and out-group trust, highlighting that not only the level
of trust but also the âtrust radiusâ counts for social cohesion in modern societies. Refining
Putnamâs claims, we argue that social trust among members varies with the quality and intensity
of participation captured (for instance, through volunteering), diverse social contacts and the
level of membership trust experienced in an association. Based on a nation-wide survey, carried
out in Germany during 2017/2018, it is demonstrated that members of civic associations indicate
higher levels of trust towards in-groups and out-groups compared to non-members and they
regard present society as more solidary and trusting. A fine-grained analysis among members of
associations further shows that increased trust is typical for volunteers and individuals in socially
diverse associations which, at the same time, are characterized by high levels of membership
trust. We conclude that sports clubs need to provide beneficial context conditions for producing
high levels and a wider radius of trust.Peer Reviewe
Social Capital Trends in Germany in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic
This research note reports social capital trends in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on a comparison of survey data from 2017/18 and 2020/21, i.e., trends reported here inform about changes of social capital levels during the âsecond lockdownâ of the pandemic, when containment policies were in effect throughout the country. Findings point to stable levels of in-group trust, out-group trust and prosocial attitudes. At the same time, sociability orientations are lower and society is generally perceived as less solidary. Members in voluntary organizations have more social capital compared to non-membersâthis difference is found before as well as during the pandemic. Regarding that changes are generally small, it can be concluded that the pandemic did neither strengthen social capital considerably, nor did it lead to a massive overall decline of social capital.Peer Reviewe
Oxidation of Silicon Carbide Composites for Nuclear Applications at Very High Temperatures in Steam
Single-rod oxidation and quench experiments at very high temperatures in steam atmosphere were conducted with advanced, nuclear grade SiCf/SiC CMC cladding tube segments. A transient experiment was performed until severe local degradation of the sample at maximum temperature of approximately 1845 °C. The degradation was caused by complete consumption of the external CVD-SiC sealcoat, resulting in steam access to the fiberâmatrix composite with less corrosion resistance. Approaching these very high temperatures was accompanied by accelerated gas release mainly of H2 and CO2, the formation of surface bubbles and white smoke. Three one-hour isothermal tests at 1700 °C in steam with final water flooding and one three-hour experiment with fast cool-down in Ar atmosphere were run under nominally identical conditions. All isothermally tested samples survived the tests without any macroscopic degradation. The mechanical performance of these quenched clad segments was not significantly affected, while maintaining a high capability to tolerate damages. Despite these harsh exposure conditions, load transfer between SiC fibers and matrix remained efficient, allowing the composites to accommodate deformation
Development of a low-cost method for quantifying microplastics in soils and compost using near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a promising candidate for low-cost, nondestructive, and high-throughput mass quantification of microplastics in environmental samples. Widespread application of the technique is currently hampered mainly by the low sensitivity of NIR spectroscopy compared to thermoanalytical approaches commonly used for this type of analysis. This study shows how the application of NIR spectroscopy for mass quantification of microplastics can be extended to smaller analyte levels by combining it with a simple and rapid microplastic enrichment protocol. For this purpose, the widely used flotation of microplastics in a NaCl solution, accelerated by centrifugation, was chosen which allowed to remove up to 99% of the matrix at recovery rates of 83%â104%. The spectroscopic measurements took place directly on the stainless-steel filters used to collect the extracted particles to reduce sample handling to a minimum. Partial least squares regression models were used to identify and quantify the extracted microplastics in the mass range of 1â10 mg. The simple and fast extraction procedure was systematically optimized to meet the requirements for the quantification of microplastics from common polyethylene-, polypropylene-, and polystyrene-based packaging materials with a particle size 10% determined by loss on ignition). Microplastics could be detected in model samples at a mass fraction of 1 mg gâ1. The detectable microplastic mass fraction is about an order of magnitude lower compared to previous studies using NIR spectroscopy without additional enrichment. To emphasize the cost-effectiveness of the method, it was implemented using some of the cheapest and most compact NIR spectrometers available.BMBFPeer Reviewe
Fachreferat heute : Analyse des Berufsbildes von Fachreferenten anhand von Stellenanzeigen der Jahre 2003 bis 2013
Dieses Projekt untersucht anhand von Stellenausschreibungen fĂŒr Fachreferatspositionen, ob sich das darin zum Ausdruck kommende Berufsbild des Fachreferenten analog zu den stetig wachsenden und sich erweiternden Anforderungen der Bibliotheken geĂ€ndert hat. Dazu wurden Stellenanzeigen in der Mailingliste Inetbib und der Zeitschrift Bibliotheksdienst ĂŒber einen Zeitraum von zehn Jahren erfasst und ausgewertet. Neben formalen Kriterien wie den geforderten Ausbildungsvoraussetzungen von Fachreferenten wurden auch fachlich-inhaltliche Aspekte sowie geforderte Soft Skills einbezogen. Als Ergebnis der Untersuchung lĂ€sst sich festhalten, dass die Position des Fachreferenten zwar inhaltlich gleich geblieben ist, jedoch weitere Aufgaben hinzugekommen sind. Diese sind bedingt durch die dynamischen VerĂ€nderungen der Informationsinfrastruktur und die damit einhergehenden neuen Anforderungen an fachlich fundierte bibliothekarische Informationsdienstleistungen.This project examines job advertisements for field librarians in order to find out how the changing demands on this position have been reflected in the job descriptions. Therefore, employment ads for field librarian positions published on the mailing list Inetbib and the journal Bibliotheksdienst were collected and evaluated over a period of ten years. Besides formal criteria such as educational requirements and prior work experience, aspects such as professional qualification as well as soft skills were taken into consideration. As a result of the research it can be said that professional demands on field librarians have remained constant while the duties of this position have increased in scope and complexity due to the dynamic changes of the information infrastructure and the new demands on state-of-the-art information service activities in libraries
Die Relevanz von Sozialkapitalindikatoren fĂŒr die Mitgliederbindung in Zeiten von Corona
Bereits vor der Corona-Pandemie berichteten immer mehr Sportvereine von zurĂŒckgehenden Mitgliederzahlen, episodischen Engagements und Schwierigkeiten bei der Gewinnung und Bindung von freiwillig Engagierten. Angesichts der komplexen EinschrĂ€nkungen der Sportvereins- und geselligen AktivitĂ€ten wĂ€hrend der Corona-Pandemie stellt sich die Frage, wie diese auĂergewöhnliche soziale Situation die Mitgliederbindung in Vereinen beeinflusst hat und welche Bedeutung dem Sozialkapital zukommt. Der vorliegende Beitrag, in dem die Mitgliederbindung nach der Corona-Pandemie abgeschĂ€tzt werden soll, greift eine ForschungslĂŒcke auf, wobei v.âŻa. die Relevanz von verschiedenen Sozialkapitalindikatoren betrachtet wird. Basis der empirischen Analysen bildet eine reprĂ€sentative Bevölkerungsbefragung, die Ende 2020/Anfang 2021 durchgefĂŒhrt wurde. Die Mitgliederbindung der Sportvereinsmitglieder ist nach wie vor recht hoch. Sozialkapitalindikatoren, die sich eng auf den Sportverein beziehen, erklĂ€ren wenig zur Vorhersage der Mitgliederbindung. Neben den im Verein wahrgenommenen ReziprozitĂ€tsnormen erhöhen Hilfsbereitschaft und Ingroup-Vertrauen die Bindung an den Verein, wĂ€hrend Geselligkeitsorientierung und Outgroup-Vertrauen die Wahrscheinlichkeit verringern, auch nach der Pandemie noch Mitglied im Verein zu sein. Unter Einbeziehung aller PrĂ€diktoren erhöht sich die ModellgĂŒte auf knapp 26âŻ%. Neben wenigen soziodemographischen Merkmalen tragen v.âŻa. mitgliedschaftsbezogene Merkmale (z.âŻB. Krisenmanagement des Vereins) zur VarianzaufklĂ€rung bei. Hilfsbereitschaft, Outgroup-Vertrauen und tendenziell auch Geselligkeitsorientierung stellen im Gesamtmodell die einzigen bedeutsamen Sozialkapitalindikatoren dar, wenngleich sie mit beachtlichen Gewichten zur VarianzaufklĂ€rung beitragen
Ehrenamtliches und freiwilliges Engagement im Sport in lÀndlichen und stÀdtischen RÀumen
Die Gewinnung und Bindung von ehrenamtlich und freiwillig Engagierten ist fĂŒr Sportvereine auf der lokalen Ebene ein zentrales Bestandserhaltungsgebot. Speziell Sportvereine, die in lĂ€ndlichen Regionen vielerorts das Dorfleben prĂ€gen, klagen jedoch seit lĂ€ngerem ĂŒber wachsende Mobilisierungsprobleme. Der vorliegende kommentierte Datenbericht zielt darauf ab, das ehrenamtliche und freiwillige Engagement im Sport mit Blick auf sozialrĂ€umliche Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen lĂ€ndlichen und stĂ€dtischen RĂ€umen zu beschreiben. Der Bericht basiert auf einer SekundĂ€ranalyse der reprĂ€sentativen Bevölkerungsbefragungen der âDeutschen Freiwilligensurveysâ (FWS) aus den Jahren 2014 und 2019. Die FWS-Daten zeigen, dass der Anteil an Engagierten im Sportbereich von 2014 bis 2019 leicht abgenommen hat. Auf dem Land sind die Verluste an Engagierten noch etwas stĂ€rker als in der Stadt. Die Engagementquote fĂ€llt auf dem Land höher aus als in der Stadt und fĂ€llt im lĂ€ndlichen Raum der alten BundeslĂ€nder höher aus als in den neuen BundeslĂ€ndern. Engagierte auf dem Land unterscheiden sich â auch aufgrund der sozialstrukturellen Zusammensetzung der Bevölkerung â von Engagierten in der Stadt. Dies gilt ebenso fĂŒr Engagierte in Leitungspositionen. Die FWS-Daten lassen erkennen, dass altruistische Motive fĂŒr ein Engagement bedeutsam sind, aber durch extrinsisch-egoistische Motive angereichert werden. Von den Nichtengagierten werden insbesondere zeitliche und berufliche GrĂŒnde angefĂŒhrt, sich nicht zu engagieren. Als persönlicher Mehrwert wird von Engagierten v.a. der Erwerb sozialer FĂ€higkeiten herausgestellt. Verbesserungsbedarfe werden von den Engagierten hĂ€ufiger an den Staat und weniger an die Vereine gerichtet. Angesichts dieser Befunde stellen sich u.a. Fragen nach der Gewinnung und Bindung neuer Zielgruppen von freiwillig Engagierten im organisierten Sport insgesamt und in lĂ€ndlichen Sportvereinen in besonderer Weise.The recruitment and retention of volunteers is a key "survival requirement" for sports clubs at the local level. However, sports clubs in rural areas in particular, which in many places shape village life, have been complaining about growing mobilisation problems for some time. This commentated data report aims to describe voluntary engagement in sport with a view to socio-spatial differences and similarities between rural and urban areas. The report is based on a secondary analysis of the representative population surveys of the "German Volunteer Surveys" (FWS) from 2014 and 2019. The FWS data show that the share of people involved in sports has slightly decreased from 2014 to 2019. In rural areas, the losses in engagement are even slightly higher than in urban areas. The engagement rate is higher in the countryside than in the city and higher in the rural areas of the old federal states than in the new federal states of Germany. Rural volunteers differ from urban volunteers - also due to the socio-structural composition of the population. This also applies to volunteers in leadership positions. The FWS data show that altruistic motives for engagement still predominate, but are enriched by extrinsic-egoistic motives. The non-committed cite time and professional reasons in particular for not getting involved. The acquisition of social skills is the main personal added value cited by those who are committed. The need for improvement is more often addressed to the state and less to the associations. In view of these findings, questions arise regarding the recruitment and retention of new target groups of volunteers in organised sport as a whole and in rural sports clubs in particular
From Cancer to Immune-Mediated Diseases and Tolerance Induction: Lessons Learned From Immune Oncology and Classical Anti-cancer Treatment
Success in cancer treatment over the last four decades has ranged from improvements
in classical drug therapy to immune oncology. Anti-cancer drugs have also often proven
beneficial for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In this review,
we report on challenging examples that bridge between treatment of cancer and
immune-mediated diseases, addressing mechanisms and experimental models as well
as clinical investigations. Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) (humanized) mouse
models represent useful tools for preclinical evaluation of new therapies and biomarker
identification. However, new developments using human ex vivo approaches modeling
cancer, for example in microfluidic human organs-on-chips, promise to identify key
molecular, cellular and immunological features of human cancer progression in a fully
human setting. Classical drugs which bridge the gap, for instance, include cytotoxic
drugs, proteasome inhibitors, PI3K/mTOR inhibitors and metabolic inhibitors. Biologicals
developed for cancer therapy have also shown efficacy in the treatment of autoimmune
diseases. In immune oncology, redirected chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have
achieved spectacular remissions in refractory B cell leukemia and lymphoma and are
currently under development for tolerance induction using cell-based therapies such as
CAR Tregs or NK cells. Finally, a brief outline will be given of the lessons learned from
bridging cancer and autoimmune diseases as well as tolerance induction
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