The Promise of Participation: European Reconstruction Work in Early Weimar Germany’s Political Culture

Material reconstruction after the First World War was closely linked to German reparations, yet it is curiously underrepresented in the historiography of the Treaty of Versailles as well as in studies on interwar Germany. In the Weimar Republic, political leaders, economic actors and large parts of the population supported the idea of sending building material and even labourers to neighbouring countries. This far-reaching planning process began before and continued after the signing of the peace treaty, as the Allies remained hesitant but not fully hostile to the German proposals. Material reparation potentially mobilized a wide range of goods and labour, and it was thus particularly prone to expectation, but also to disappointment in a broad segment of the population. Against the backdrop of war destruction and the international peace negotiations in 1919, this article investigates the way in which European reconstruction was discussed formally and informally in Weimar Germany. By focusing on the communicative channels and media that promoted German participation in building work abroad, it discusses how expectations were raised, managed and disappointed at the intersection of foreign and domestic policies. While there had only been minor destruction in German territory between 1914 and 1918, the republic’s political culture proved to be deeply affected by the material reconstruction on the European continent, even though most of the far-reaching plans did not result in building sites on the ground

A World Heritage City and its Industrial Landscape: The Bacanga Waterfront at São Luís, Brazil

The themes addressed by this paper intersect the industrial heritage and its main components, from industrial archeology to the technical landscapes of production. From this point of view, the historic center of São Luís, Brazil as case study has an intrinsic relationship with the Bacanga River. It is the main landscape that is to the surroundings of the historical center tilted by the Unesco. The historic center of São Luís with the sea and the river dialogue between colonial urban occupation and water as a landscape that embraces this urbanization

Self-regulation of behaviour in children and adolescents in the natural and institutional environment

The aim of the study is to present the results of research aimed at comparing the level of self-regulation of behaviour in children and adolescents in the natural and institutional environment. Institutionalisation occurs over a period of time in children and adolescents living in institutions. We can frequently observe the symptoms of institutionalisation in these groups of children and adolescents, which is a major obstacle to their functional self-regulation of behaviour and to their return to the natural social environment. The research sample was comprised of 2,776 children and adolescents from the natural and institutional environment in the Czech Republic (children and adolescents living in total institutions such as correctional institutions for children and minors and children's homes). The Self-regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) used in the study contained 12 items aimed at 3 areas of self-regulation of behaviour: Affect, Awareness and Empowerment. The results have shown that the level of self-regulation of behaviour is lower among children in the institutional environment. We recorded the most significant differences between children from the institutional and natural environment in the area of Affect (i.e. the regulation of emotions). It means that children and adolescents from institutional environments have more trouble controlling their emotions than children from a natural environment. We also found that the level of self-regulation of behaviour is dependent on the perceived level of problematic behaviour of children and adolescents. A higher level of problematic behaviour of children and adolescents indicates a lower level of self-regulation of their behaviour. We also found that differences in the level of self-regulation of behaviour, depending on the perceived degree of problematic behaviour, are not significant in either type of environment. It means that the perceived degree of problematic behaviour is reflected in the level of self-regulation of behaviour in a similar way in the natural and institutional environment. (C) 2016 Published by Elseiver Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

Teachers' beliefs about socially disadvantaged pupils in the Czech Republic

One of the significant factors influencing education of socially disadvantaged pupils is the teachers' beliefs about the group of pupils. Teachers' beliefs can influence teachers' judgements and teaching approach. The aim of this study is to determine if there is any relation between teachers' beliefs of socially disadvantaged pupils and selected determinants. In the context of the sociocognitive theories the study presents the results of the survey which point out the impact of the selected determinants to teachers' beliefs about socially disadvantaged pupils. We suppose that the determinants can significantly affect teachers' beliefs about the group of pupils. The research sample comprised 245 teachers who work at the educational level ISCED 1 and 2 in three regions of the Czech Republic. For the research was used variety of the research methods: questionnaire and Semantic differential (containing 12 scales with bipolar adjectives). Within the survey it was found that teachers' beliefs are influenced by the sociocultural context of the locality where the teachers work and length of practice. It was also found that teachers' beliefs about socially disadvantaged pupils are not influence by, experience with education of socially disadvantaged pupils and positive perceptions of pupils' diversity. Presented study by using various research methods, tries to point out the significant determinants of education of socially disadvantage pupils. The focus of the research is the teachers' beliefs of socially disadvantaged pupils, which might be according to our findings influenced by the socio-cultural context and length of practice. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd

3D tumour-stroma microfluidic cultures for the assessment of anti-cancer therapies

Cancer is a highly complex disease composed of a heterogeneous range of cell types within the tumour microenvironment (TME). Despite advances in cancer treatment, there exists a lack of pre-clinical screening systems that represent the true complexity of in vivo tumours. The solid TME plays a crucial role in tumour development and therapy resistance. Established analytical in vitro methods are often too simplistic in their depiction of solid tumours and are primarily based on 2D cultures of immortalised cancer cell lines. Current preclinical assays commonly lack features of the TME and fail to represent the plethora of cell types present in native human tumours. There exists a need for the development of preclinical platforms that provide greater levels of physiological relevance and predictive value to rapidly determine the efficacy of novel anti-tumour agents and their consequential effects on the various cell types present in the TME. Furthermore, personalised in vitro models could be used for assessing patient tissue to increase accuracy of the predictions of treatment outcomes for patients. Immunotherapy is a promising form of cancer treatment that has not yet been widely harnessed towards the treatment of solid tumours and requires improved methods of in vitro assessment. Microfluidic technologies can provide a cost-effective solution through the advantages of miniaturisation where much smaller volumes of reagents and cell numbers are required in comparison to traditional in vitro assays. Many microfluidic models have been developed featuring tumour spheroids and vascular network structures to study tumour angiogenesis and to assess the performance of anti-cancer agents targeting tumour cells and tumour vasculature. Microfluidic assays have also been established for the study of immunotherapies targeting liquid tumours. However, there is a gap in the development of equivalent models for assessing the efficacy of immunotherapeutics targeting solid tumours. Therefore, elements of the TME were identified to integrate into and increase the complexity of current in vitro models and microfluidic technology utilised to achieve the development of novel microfluidic protocols for miniaturized assays that could be utilized for personalised immunotherapy applications. The aims of this work included achieving the assessment of both the cytotoxicity and target specificity of CAR-T cells in 3D TME relevant models and the validation of the in vitro assessment of CAR-T therapy in combination with chemotherapy and checkpoint blockade. Proof-of-concept applications of assays and protocols for nanoparticle drug delivery, tumour stroma interaction and immune-oncology were demonstrated. Specifically, a viable solid tumour-stromal microenvironment was established using a primary breast cancer cell line and characterisation of co-cultures performed via time-lapse imaging and quantification of fluorescence and protein expression. Adaptable protocols were validated and have potential for use in the analysis of various types of immunotherapy with the potential for incorporation of various cancer and TME associated cell types. This thesis also contains the first report of microfluidic technology combined with SERS to assess targeted nanoparticle binding to and penetration of 3D tumour spheroids. In addition, novel ACT methodology and data analysis protocols were developed to present the first report of the assessment of EGFR specific CAR-T cell cytotoxicity and target specificity in a 3D solid tumour-stromal microfluidic model as a monotherapy and in combination with carboplatin chemotherapy and anti-PD-L1 treatment. These miniaturized proof-of-concept systems using small cell numbers and volumes are highly suited for the analysis of patient biopsy tissue and for determining the efficacy of expensive immunotherapy agents to obtain the maximum data output possible. These assays, due to their sample-saving properties, are amenable for precision medicine applications using patient biopsy tissue, as well as providing a general platform for studying TME interactions. Preliminary assays using primary murine gamma delta T cells demonstrated the potential for human biopsy tissue to be used in microfluidic studies for assessing immunotherapy efficacy and present possible future applications in ACT therapy development.Cancer is a highly complex disease composed of a heterogeneous range of cell types within the tumour microenvironment (TME). Despite advances in cancer treatment, there exists a lack of pre-clinical screening systems that represent the true complexity of in vivo tumours. The solid TME plays a crucial role in tumour development and therapy resistance. Established analytical in vitro methods are often too simplistic in their depiction of solid tumours and are primarily based on 2D cultures of immortalised cancer cell lines. Current preclinical assays commonly lack features of the TME and fail to represent the plethora of cell types present in native human tumours. There exists a need for the development of preclinical platforms that provide greater levels of physiological relevance and predictive value to rapidly determine the efficacy of novel anti-tumour agents and their consequential effects on the various cell types present in the TME. Furthermore, personalised in vitro models could be used for assessing patient tissue to increase accuracy of the predictions of treatment outcomes for patients. Immunotherapy is a promising form of cancer treatment that has not yet been widely harnessed towards the treatment of solid tumours and requires improved methods of in vitro assessment. Microfluidic technologies can provide a cost-effective solution through the advantages of miniaturisation where much smaller volumes of reagents and cell numbers are required in comparison to traditional in vitro assays. Many microfluidic models have been developed featuring tumour spheroids and vascular network structures to study tumour angiogenesis and to assess the performance of anti-cancer agents targeting tumour cells and tumour vasculature. Microfluidic assays have also been established for the study of immunotherapies targeting liquid tumours. However, there is a gap in the development of equivalent models for assessing the efficacy of immunotherapeutics targeting solid tumours. Therefore, elements of the TME were identified to integrate into and increase the complexity of current in vitro models and microfluidic technology utilised to achieve the development of novel microfluidic protocols for miniaturized assays that could be utilized for personalised immunotherapy applications. The aims of this work included achieving the assessment of both the cytotoxicity and target specificity of CAR-T cells in 3D TME relevant models and the validation of the in vitro assessment of CAR-T therapy in combination with chemotherapy and checkpoint blockade. Proof-of-concept applications of assays and protocols for nanoparticle drug delivery, tumour stroma interaction and immune-oncology were demonstrated. Specifically, a viable solid tumour-stromal microenvironment was established using a primary breast cancer cell line and characterisation of co-cultures performed via time-lapse imaging and quantification of fluorescence and protein expression. Adaptable protocols were validated and have potential for use in the analysis of various types of immunotherapy with the potential for incorporation of various cancer and TME associated cell types. This thesis also contains the first report of microfluidic technology combined with SERS to assess targeted nanoparticle binding to and penetration of 3D tumour spheroids. In addition, novel ACT methodology and data analysis protocols were developed to present the first report of the assessment of EGFR specific CAR-T cell cytotoxicity and target specificity in a 3D solid tumour-stromal microfluidic model as a monotherapy and in combination with carboplatin chemotherapy and anti-PD-L1 treatment. These miniaturized proof-of-concept systems using small cell numbers and volumes are highly suited for the analysis of patient biopsy tissue and for determining the efficacy of expensive immunotherapy agents to obtain the maximum data output possible. These assays, due to their sample-saving properties, are amenable for precision medicine applications using patient biopsy tissue, as well as providing a general platform for studying TME interactions. Preliminary assays using primary murine gamma delta T cells demonstrated the potential for human biopsy tissue to be used in microfluidic studies for assessing immunotherapy efficacy and present possible future applications in ACT therapy development

Diagnostics methods for sleep disorders

The aim of this manuscript is to describe the procedures, recommendations, findings and value of the diagnostic methods used in Sleep Disorders including questionnaires, Actigraph, Polysomnography and Multiple sleep latency test. Specific questionnaires including evaluation of sleep quality , hyper somnolence, Respiratory Sleep Disorders and Sleep-Wake rhythm are in general, used as a screening for the Sleep Disorders and indication of sleep studies. Polysomnogram and Multiple sleep latency test are considered the gold standard methods for the diagnosis of majority of sleep disorders and Narcolepsy respectively. Criteria for these disorders are reported bellow.O objetivo deste artigo é o de descrever os procedimentos, as recomendações, os achados e o valor dos métodos diagnósticos utilizados em transtornos do sono, incluindo questionários, actigrafia, polissonografia e teste múltiplo de latência do sono. Questionários específicos incluindo avaliação da qualidade do sono, hipersonolência, transtornos respiratórios do sono e ritmo sono-vigília são utilizados, em geral, para triar transtornos do sono e como indicação para estudos sobre o sono. A polissonografia e o teste múltiplo de latência do sono são considerados como métodos padrão-ouro na maioria dos transtornos do sono e narcolepsia, respectivamente. Os critérios para tais transtornos são relatados abaixo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Gelernte Hilflosigkeit

Objective: The learned helplessness hypothesis states that individuals exposed to loss of control show cognitive, emotional and motivational deficits. Various variables such as gender and attributional style have been reported to influence the development of learned helplessness, albeit with inconsistent findings. Therefore the aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the effects of gender, attributional style and personality on experimentally induced helplessness. Additionally, emotional and cognitive symptoms of helplessness were investigated. Method: The sample consisted of 30 male and 30 female University students aged 19 to 30 years (n = 60). Helplessness was induced by processing a computer-assisted anagram task consisting of solvable and unsolvable items. The degree of helplessness was assessed by a specific questionnaire. Prior to the helplessness task all participants completed a comprehensive psychological test battery including various intelligence (sub-) tests, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the German version of the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASF-E), the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) and the Emotional Self Rating (ESR). Results and Conclusion: Data analysis revealed no significant gender differences concerning the development of helplessness. Male participants showing signficantly higher agreeableness were more susceptible to helplessness while females displaying lower agreeableness tended to become helpless. Other gender-specific interactions were found regarding the individual attributional behavior: A negative attributional style (negative stable, global and internal attributions for failure) was associated with increased helplessness in women. Those results are in line with previous helplessness studies considering the interaction of gender with personality and attributional variables. Anger and aggression were increased after induction. Those findings support the discrimination in helplessness or reactance as a reaction to loss of control.Objective: The learned helplessness hypothesis states that individuals exposed to loss of control show cognitive, emotional and motivational deficits. Various variables such as gender and attributional style have been reported to influence the development of learned helplessness, albeit with inconsistent findings. Therefore the aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the effects of gender, attributional style and personality on experimentally induced helplessness. Additionally, emotional and cognitive symptoms of helplessness were investigated. Method: The sample consisted of 30 male and 30 female University students aged 19 to 30 years (n = 60). Helplessness was induced by processing a computer-assisted anagram task consisting of solvable and unsolvable items. The degree of helplessness was assessed by a specific questionnaire. Prior to the helplessness task all participants completed a comprehensive psychological test battery including various intelligence (sub-) tests, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the German version of the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASF-E), the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) and the Emotional Self Rating (ESR). Results and Conclusion: Data analysis revealed no significant gender differences concerning the development of helplessness. Male participants showing signficantly higher agreeableness were more susceptible to helplessness while females displaying lower agreeableness tended to become helpless. Other gender-specific interactions were found regarding the individual attributional behavior: A negative attributional style (negative stable, global and internal attributions for failure) was associated with increased helplessness in women. Those results are in line with previous helplessness studies considering the interaction of gender with personality and attributional variables. Anger and aggression were increased after induction. Those findings support the discrimination in helplessness or reactance as a reaction to loss of control

Characterization of a continuous feline mammary epithelial cell line susceptible to feline epitheliotropic viruses.

Mucosal epithelial cells are the primary targets for many common viral pathogens of cats. Viral infection of epithelia can damage or disrupt the epithelial barrier that protects underlying tissues. In vitro cell culture systems are an effective means to study how viruses infect and disrupt epithelial barriers, however no true continuous or immortalized feline epithelial cell culture lines are available. A continuous cell culture of feline mammary epithelial cells (FMEC UCD-04-2) that forms tight junctions with high transepithelial electrical resistance (>2000Omegacm(-1)) 3-4 days after reaching confluence was characterized. In addition, it was shown that FMECs are susceptible to infection with feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), feline coronavirus (FeCoV), and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). These cells will be useful for studies of feline viral disease and for in vitro studies of feline epithelia

Marias dos evangelhos e Marias do Século XIX: uma comparação entre a construção bíblica e os estudos femininos da Woman’s Bible

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. História.Inseridos no contexto de uma sociedade ocidental, que em tem como principal religião o cristianismo, compreender o seu livro fundador, a Bíblia, é fundamental, tendo em vista que a maioria dos indivíduos tem-na como modelo de expressão. Dessa forma, estabelecer como esse modelo influenciou a formação de símbolos próprios para a mulher, encarnados em Maria de Nazaré e Maria Madalena é de extrema importância. Para isso precisamos compreender e dialogar com diversos aspectos históricos que ocorreram ao longo do século XIX, o que nos permite entrar em contato em níveis de comparação com a mais importante obra das feministas cristãs, a Woman’s Bible. Dessa forma, poderemos concluir em que níveis se deram as formulações simbólicas mais recorrentemente associadas à feminilidade