HIWED - a comparative historical research projekt on Western Europe

Der Autor stellt die Entstehungsgeschichte, die Forschungsziele und einige Ergebnisse des Projekts "Historische Indikatoren der westeuropäischen Demokratien" (HIWED) vor. Die Ergebnisse des Projekts sind und werden in historischen Datenhandbüchern zu ausgewählten Themenkomplexen publiziert. (BG

The stories interpreters tell

The purpose of this study was to start a collection of folklore of the American Sign Language interpreting community and to initiate a conversation about the role these stories play within the community. The initial hypothesis was that there are folklore stories which circulate among the members of the interpreter occupational folk group. Since there had been no other study of this kind done in the ASL interpreting community, a single story was chosen as a starting point for research on the topic. The chosen tale for the focus of this research was about the students/new interpreter told by the seasoned interpreter. The working hypothesis was that these stories reinforced a specific structure within the field and represent unease toward perceived changes to the field. No research into the folklore of the American Signed Language interpreting community had been done at the time of this research, therefore the majority of literature reviewed was on the topic of folklore studies to provide a foundation for inquiry. Face- to-face interviews, conducted with three experienced interpreters, were used to collect the stories and gather the impressions. The data revealed that seasoned interpreters do indeed circulate stories about the students/new interpreters living and working in the Pacific Northwest. The informants’ perceptions of how the stories function differed, however all agreed the stories exist and influence the field. Further research on the American Signed Language interpreting community’s folklore, as well as further expansion on the specific stories investigated for this research, is recommended

The biomechanical function of periodontal ligament fibres in orthodontic tooth movement

Orthodontic tooth movement occurs as a result of resorption and formation of the alveolar bone due to an applied load, but the stimulus responsible for triggering orthodontic tooth movement remains the subject of debate. It has been suggested that the periodontal ligament (PDL) plays a key role. However, the mechanical function of the PDL in orthodontic tooth movement is not well understood as most mechanical models of the PDL to date have ignored the fibrous structure of the PDL. In this study we use finite element (FE) analysis to investigate the strains in the alveolar bone due to occlusal and orthodontic loads when PDL is modelled as a fibrous structure as compared to modelling PDL as a layer of solid material. The results show that the tension-only nature of the fibres essentially suspends the tooth in the tooth socket and their inclusion in FE models makes a significant difference to both the magnitude and distribution of strains produced in the surrounding bone. The results indicate that the PDL fibres have a very important role in load transfer between the teeth and alveolar bone and should be considered in FE studies investigating the biomechanics of orthodontic tooth movement. © 2014 McCormack et al

Krisenbewältigung oder Krisenerzeugung? Der Wohlfahrtsstaat in historischer Perspektive

In dem Beitrag wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob der Wohlfahrtsstaat von einem Krisenbewältiger zu einem Krisenerzeuger geworden ist. Nach einer einleitenden Skizze der Entwicklung des Wohlfahrtstaates werden zunächst Elemente des Krisenbegriffs erarbeitet, von dem in den folgenden Überlegungen ausgegangen wird. Anschließend wird die historische Makrokonstellation skizziert, in der der moderne Wohlfahrtsstaat als ein Krisenbewältiger entstanden ist. Im dritten Teil folgt eine knappe Darstellung und Analyse der Expansion des Wohlfahrtsstaats. Im anschließenden vierten Teil wird die Frage untersucht, ob der Wohlfahrtsstaat heute in einer neuen Makrokonstellation zu einem Krisenproduzierer zu werden droht. Dazu wird zunächst die aktuelle Makro-Konstellation skizziert. Darauf aufbauend werden die Krisensymptome auf der staatlich-politischen Ebene und auf der sozialstrukturellen Ebene untersucht. Entsprechend den Überlegungen in Teil eins werden auf der ersten Ebene die Probleme des öffentlichen Haushalts und Instabilitätserscheinungen der politischen Institutionen untersucht. Auf der zweiten Ebene erfolgt eine Beschränkung auf einige Aspekte der Verteilungskonflikte und Desintegrationserscheinungen. Dabei wird zunächst die Entwicklung der Arbeitskämpfe untersucht und dann die Frage diskutiert, ob durch die Expansion des Wohlfahrtsstaats eine neue Spaltungsstruktur entstanden ist oder vielleicht entsteht. Abschließend konzentrieren sich auf dieser Ebene die Überlegungen zur sozialen Desintegration auf zwei Krisensymptome: Selbstmordraten und Scheidungsziffern. Im vierten und letzten Teil des Beitrags werden mögliche Richtungen eines institutionellen Wandels aufgezeigt. (RW

Masticatory biomechanics in the rabbit : a multi-body dynamics analysis

Acknowledgement We thank Sue Taft (University of Hull) for the µCT-scanning of the rabbit specimen used in this study. We also thank Raphaël Cornette, Jacques Bonnin, Laurent Dufresne, and l'Amicale des Chasseurs Trappistes (ACT) for providing permission and helping us capture the rabbits used for the in vivo bite force measurements at la Réserve Naturelle Nationale de St Quentin en Yvelines, France.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Breeding losses of red grouse in Glen Esk (NE Scotland): Comparative studies, 30 years on

Hatching success, brood survival and predation rates of red grouse chicks were examined at four sites in north-east Scotland over two years (1994--1995). Two of these sites have previously been the focus of a large-scale population study on grouse during the late 1950s enabling a comparison to be made. A total of 85 hens were radio-tracked and their breeding success monitored over the two years. Compared with studies undertaken in the 1950s, mean clutch size had risen from 7.2 to 8.6 eggs. Of the 76 nests monitored, 17 (22.4%) broods were lost either through egg or chick predation or by the adult being taken by a predator during incubation. Stoats appeared to be responsible for the largest amount of egg predation. There was a significant increase in predation levels, although hatching success was not significantly different from the 1950s. Chick mortality was highest within the first ten days, a similar result to that found in the 1950s. Overall, mean brood survival from hatching to 20 days was 55.1%. Possible reasons for larger clutch sizes, and the apparent increase in predation levels, are discussed

Inclusion of periodontal ligament fibres in mandibular finite element models leads to an increase in alveolar bone strains

Alveolar bone remodelling is vital for the success of dental implants and orthodontic treatments. However, the underlying biomechanical mechanisms, in particular the function of the periodontal ligament (PDL) in bone loading and remodelling, are not well understood. The PDL is a soft fibrous connective tissue that joins the tooth root to the alveolar bone and plays a critical role in the transmission of loads from the tooth to the surrounding bone. However, due to its complex structure, small size and location within the tooth socket it is difficult to study in vivo. Finite element analysis (FEA) is an ideal tool with which to investigate the role of the PDL, however inclusion of the PDL in FE models is complex and time consuming, therefore consideration must be given to how it is included. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of including the PDL and its fibrous structure in mandibular finite element models. A high-resolution model of a human molar region was created from micro-computed tomography scans. This is the first time that the fibrous structure of the PDL has been included in a model with realistic tooth and bone geometry. The results show that omission of the PDL creates a more rigid model, reducing the strains observed in the mandibular corpus which are of interest when considering mandibular functional morphology. How the PDL is modelled also affects the strains. The inclusion of PDL fibres alters the strains in the mandibular bone, increasing the strains in the tooth socket compared to PDL modelled without fibres. As strains in the alveolar bone are thought to play a key role in bone remodelling during orthodontic tooth movement, future FE analyses aimed at improving our understanding and management of orthodontic treatment should include the fibrous structure of the PDL