Familien: Multilokale Lebensführung bei Ausbildung und Pflege

Dieser Beitrag stellt Multilokalität in den Kontext zweier verschiedener an den Lebensverlauf gebundener Erfordernisse: 1. bei Ausbildung der Kinder (Studierende) und 2. bei Pflege der Eltern. Wenngleich emotionale und rationale Bestimmungsfaktoren die multilokale Lebensführung beider Personengruppen zwar verschiedentlich beeinflussen, deuten sich bei der Reflexion der Bedeutung von Multilokalität für das mittelfristige bzw. spätere Wanderungsverhalten Verbindungen zwischen beiden Personengruppen an. Im Vergleich zu multilokaler Lebensführung während der Ausbildung ist Multilokalität bei der Pflege untererforscht. Vor dem Hintergrund des demographischen Wandels wird das Erfordernis einer vertiefenden (planungs)wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung letzterer Personengruppe sowie der diesbezügliche Forschungsbedarf skizziert.This paper presents multilocality in the context of two different requirements related to the life course: 1. education (students) and 2. care for elderly relatives. Although emotional and rational determinants influence the multilocality of both groups of people in different ways, reflection of the importance of multilocality for migration in the medium- and long-term reveals connections between these two different groups of people. Compared to the multilocality of students, multilocality for elderly care purposes is under-researched. Against the backdrop of demographic change, there is a need for further planning-related scientific discussion of the latter group. Relevant research needs in this area are outlined

Soziale Infrastrukturen und Multilokalität

Dieser Beitrag erörtert die Wechselbeziehungen zwischen sozialer Infrastruktur und multilokaler Lebensführung. Hierbei zeigt sich, dass neben den beiden Kriterien "Vorhandensein von sozialer Infrastruktur" und "Zugänglichkeit zu sozialer Infrastruktur" (vor allem in Bezug auf altersspezifische Angebote und Einrichtungen der Lebensphase) persönlichen Präferenzen eine große Bedeutung zukommt. An soziale Infrastrukturen gebundene Multilokalität kann somit Land-Stadt- wie auch Stadt-Land-gerichtet sein und eine Verlegung des Hauptwohnsitzes, respektive Lebensmittelpunktes nach sich ziehen. Aufgrund der Vielschichtigkeit der Zusammenhänge muss die Raumplanung das Thema Multilokalität in die Diskussion um die Bedarfsplanung und Angebotsentwicklung sozialer Infrastrukturen einbringen.This contribution discusses the relationships between social infrastructures and multilocal lifestyles. Besides the two criteria "existence" and "accessibility" of social infrastructures, it becomes clear that the life phase, personal preferences and free choice are of great importance, especially with regard to age-specific social infrastructures.Multilocality linked to social infrastructures can thus take a rural-urban orientation as well as an urban-rural one, and moreover can entail a relocation of the main residence or central point of life. Due to the complexity of the interrelationships, spatial planning must bring the issue of multilocality into the discussion about demand planning and service development

Multilokale Lebensführung in Österreich

Dieser Beitrag thematisiert multilokale Lebensführung in Österreich. Die quantitative Relevanz des Phänomens wird über den Indikator (Haupt- und Neben)wohnsitz sichtbar gemacht und die Vielfalt der multilokal lebenden Personen entlang ihres Lebenszyklus gezeigt. Daran schließt eine Darstellung der räumlichen Verflechtungen zwischen den Wohnsitzen an, durch die einerseits regional unterschiedliche Bedeutung von Multilokalität selbst, andererseits die Motive für die multilokale Lebensführung erkennbar werden. Anschließend werden die Konsequenzen von Multilokalität für die zukünftige Entwicklung strukturschwacher ländlicher Regionen angerissen und Forschungsbedarf identifiziert.This article deals with the topic of multilocal lifestyles in Austria. The quantitative relevance of the phenomenon of multilocality is made visible using the indicators "main residence" and "secondary residence". By taking into consideration the life cycle it is possible to demonstrate the variety of people with multilocal lifestyles. Moreover, not only do the spatial interdependencies of the (at least two) different places of residence become apparent, but the drivers for multilocal lifestyles are also made visible. Subsequently, the consequences of multilocality for the future development of structurally weak rural regions are touched upon and future research requirements are identified

Role of Epigenetics for the Efficacy of Cisplatin

The clinical utility of the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin is restricted by cancer drug resistance, which is either intrinsic to the tumor or acquired during therapy. Epigenetics is increasingly recognized as a factor contributing to cisplatin resistance and hence influences drug efficacy and clinical outcomes. In particular, epigenetics regulates gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. Common types of epigenetic modifications linked to chemoresistance are DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs. This review provides an overview of the current findings of various epigenetic modifications related to cisplatin efficacy in cell lines in vitro and in clinical tumor samples. Furthermore, it discusses whether epigenetic alterations might be used as predictors of the platinum agent response in order to prevent avoidable side effects in patients with resistant malignancies. In addition, epigenetic targeting therapies are described as a possible strategy to render cancer cells more susceptible to platinum drugs

Effect of Long-Term Low-Dose Arsenic Exposure on DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Human Liver Cells

Millions of people around the world are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic through food or drinking water. Epidemiological studies have linked chronic arsenic exposure to an increased risk of several cancers, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system neuropathies, and genotoxic as well as immunotoxic effects. In addition to the induction of oxidative stress and inhibition of DNA repair processes, epigenetic effects, including altered DNA methylation patterns resulting in aberrant gene expression, may contribute to carcinogenicity. However, the underlying mechanisms by which chronic micromolar concentrations of arsenite affect the methylation status of DNA are not fully understood. In this study, human HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells were treated with 0.5–10 μM sodium arsenite for 24 h, 10, or 20 days. During these periods, the effects on global DNA methylation, cell cycle phase distribution, and gene expression were investigated. While no impact on DNA methylation was seen after short-term exposure, global hypomethylation was observed at both long-term exposure periods, with concomitant induction of the DNA methyltransferase genes DNMT1 and DNMT3B, while DNMT3A was slightly down-regulated. Pronounced time- and concentration-dependent effects were also seen in the case of genes involved in DNA damage response and repair, inflammation, oxidative stress response, and metal homeostasis. These results suggest that chronic low-dose arsenite exposure can lead to global hypomethylation. As an underlying mechanism, the consistent down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase genes could be excluded; alternatively, interactions at the protein level could play an important role

Temporary housing environments in urban areas – challenges and key findings for implementation

Cities are increasingly confronted with the need to provide shortterm and cost-efficient housing as several factors, such as natural disasters, migration due to political or climatic circumstances or other unpredictable events can result in a sudden and at times temporary need for additional housing. Providing affordable, and flexible but at the same time sustainable and re-useable housing concepts that are easy to construct and quickly to implement are thus requirements that cities must face. Currently there is limited research available in this field, as disaster architecture and temporary housing have not yet been widely researched in an interdisciplinary manner. The project “Urban pop-up housing environments and their potential as local innovation systems” has aimed at addressing this research gap by investigating in a highly interdisciplinary approach how and under which circumstances temporary housing solutions could be implemented under challenging framework conditions. The aim of the project was to systematically investigate and evaluate existing temporary housing options, and to develop and assess innovative and sustainable models for pop-up living systems in urban environments regarding resource uptake as well as social aspects, which may serve as incubators for urban innovation. From a technical perspective the models are focused on integrating aspects related to architecture, energy technologies, resources and materials, water as well as landscape design. Starting with a data pool of international examples, a classification and systematization of relevant typologies has been carried out in combination with user profiles for the different housing situations. On this basis, potential urban areas have been identified for selected scenarios and finally six theoretical temporary housing models have been created and subsequently assessed and analyzed in detail. The purpose of this paper is to present the key findings related to the scenarios and models, that have been developed within this basic research project and the methodologies that have been applied to assess them. The challenges of the scenarios and overall project results are summarized to provide an outline for potential implementation and future pilot projects

Designing e-learning courses for classroom and distance learning in physics: The role of learning tasks

Digital learning technologies have grown increasingly important in physics education, partly enforced through the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, digital technologies allowed for continued teaching and learning of students even when schools were closed. While research in psychology and educational technology has yielded many insights into the effectiveness of e-learning courses, fewer studies have examined the design of e-learning courses. Few studies have empirically investigated the design of learning tasks as a central element of e-learning courses. The present study analyzes how the design of tasks in e-learning courses, specifically with respect to their degree of openness as well as the relevance of their contexts, influences students' behavioral engagement, learning outcomes, and situational interest. Due to the importance of e-learning courses during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also analyzed the extent to which specific learning settings (classroom learning, distance learning) influence the effects of e-learning course design on students' behavioral engagement, learning outcomes, and situational interest. To investigate the research questions, we analyzed a total of N=1060 datasets for 12 different e-learning courses (3 to 5 lessons, middle school physics), of which n=557 were completed before and n=503 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that e-learning courses with a high proportion of learning tasks that relate to meaningful real-world contexts appear to be more conducive to behavioral engagement, learning outcomes, and situational interest. Regarding the consideration of open-ended tasks, the results suggest that these appear to be more useful for classroom learning but should be used in a limited way when designing e-learning courses for distance education

Neuronal Growth Cone Size-Dependent and -Independent Parameters of Microtubule Polymerization

Migration and pathfinding of neuronal growth cones during neurite extension is critically dependent on dynamic microtubules. In this study we sought to determine, which aspects of microtubule polymerization relate to growth cone morphology and migratory characteristics. We conducted a multiscale quantitative microscopy analysis using automated tracking of microtubule plus ends in migrating growth cones of cultured murine dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Notably, this comprehensive analysis failed to identify any changes in microtubule polymerization parameters that were specifically associated with spontaneous extension vs. retraction of growth cones. This suggests that microtubule dynamicity is a basic mechanism that does not determine the polarity of growth cone response but can be exploited to accommodate diverse growth cone behaviors. At the same time, we found a correlation between growth cone size and basic parameters of microtubule polymerization including the density of growing microtubule plus ends and rate and duration of microtubule growth. A similar correlation was observed in growth cones of neurons lacking the microtubule-associated protein MAP1B. However, MAP1B-null growth cones, which are deficient in growth cone migration and steering, displayed an overall reduction in microtubule dynamicity. Our results highlight the importance of taking growth cone size into account when evaluating the influence on growth cone microtubule dynamics of different substrata, guidance factors or genetic manipulations which all can change growth cone morphology and size. The type of large scale multiparametric analysis performed here can help to separate direct effects that these perturbations might have on microtubule dynamics from indirect effects resulting from perturbation-induced changes in growth cone size

Geometrically defined environments direct cell division rate and subcellular YAP localization in single mouse embryonic stem cells

Mechanotransduction via yes-associated protein (YAP) is a central mechanism for decision-making in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Nuclear localization of YAP is tightly connected to pluripotency and increases the cell division rate (CDR). How the geometry of the extracellular environment influences mechanotransduction, thereby YAP localization, and decision-making of single isolated mESCs is largely unknown. To investigate this relation, we produced well-defined 2D and 2.5D microenvironments and monitored CDR and subcellular YAP localization in single mESCs hence excluding cell–cell interactions. By systematically varying size and shape of the 2D and 2.5D substrates we observed that the geometry of the growth environment affects the CDR. Whereas CDR increases with increasing adhesive area in 2D, CDR is highest in small 2.5D micro-wells. Here, mESCs attach to all four walls and exhibit a cross-shaped cell and nuclear morphology. This observation indicates that changes in cell shape are linked to a high CDR. Inhibition of actomyosin activity abrogate these effects. Correspondingly, nuclear YAP localization decreases in inhibitor treated cells, suggesting a relation between cell shape, intracellular forces, and cell division rate. The simplicity of our system guarantees high standardization and reproducibility for monitoring stem cell reactions and allows addressing a variety of fundamental biological questions on a single cell level

Stages of Concern: Vorerfahrungen, Interessen und Einstellungen von Lehrkräften in Bezug auf Lehr-Lernplattform-gestütztem Unterricht in den Naturwissenschaften

The pandemic-related measures highlighted the value of digitalization as a major issue in the education sector. Digital teaching units on teaching-learning platforms can make a decisive contribution in this field. In this study, data collected in summer 2019 on the affective-cognitive processes of examinations of science education using digitally formatted units, implemented on teaching-learning platforms and the particular usage of teaching-learning platforms themselves are re-analysed (N = 83). The study relies on the Stages of Concern (SoC) as a standardized instrument. A cluster analysis helps to identify three specific SoC-profiles in terms of the specific approach to and handling with the digital teaching-learning platforms. Common to all these profiles is that they concentrate on the impact on teaching and the students’ activities. In addition, the analysis shows a traditional use of the platforms in school (subgroup, N = 44 for teachers with access to teaching-learning platforms in school). Furthermore, correlation analyses show that there is no correlation between the type of use and the SoC-Profiles, but there is a correlation between the frequency of use and the SoC-profilesDie pandemiebedingten Maßnahmen haben den Wert der Digitalisierung im Bildungssektor deutlich gemacht. Digitale Unterrichtseinheiten auf Lehr-Lernplattformen können dazu einen entscheidenden Beitrag leisten. In der hier vorgelegten Studie werden Daten aus dem Sommer 2019 zu der affektiv-kognitiven Auseinandersetzung von naturwissenschaftlichen Lehrkräften mit digitalen Unterrichtseinheiten auf Lehr-Lernplattformen sowie deren Nutzung und Fortbildungswünsche neu analysiert (N = 83). Die Erhebung der affektiv-kognitiven Auseinandersetzung erfolgte mit dem standardisierten Instrument Stages of Concern (SoC). Mithilfe einer Clusteranalyse werden drei spezifische SoC-Profile in Bezug auf den Einsatz digitaler Unterrichtseinheiten auf einer Lehr-Lernplattform identifiziert. Dabei wird deutlich, dass allen Profilen die Beschäftigung mit der Auswirkung auf den Unterricht und auf die Schülerinnen und Schüler gemein ist. Zudem wird gezeigt, dass der Einsatz von Lehr-Lernplattformen vor der Pandemie eher traditionell geprägt war (Subgruppe, N = 44 für Lehrkräfte mit Zugang in der Schule zu einer Lehr-Lernplattform). Zusammenhangsanalysen zeigen des Weiteren, dass zwischen der Nutzungsart und den SoC-Profilen kein Zusammenhang festzustellen ist, ein solcher aber zwischen der Nutzungshäufigkeit und den SoC-Profilen besteh