121 research outputs found

    Autopoietische Systeme und sympoietische GefĂĽge

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    Der Beitrag diskutiert die evolutionstheoretischen Motive der Autopoiesis bei Niklas Luhmann und der Sympoiesis bei Donna Haraway, um deren Potentiale für eine soziologische Analyse ökologischer Gefährdung einerseits und eine post-anthropozentrische Sozialtheorie andererseits auszuloten. Es werden Affinitäten der beiden Ansätze herausgearbeitet, die für eine post-anthropozentrische Soziologie wegweisend sind. Die Idee selbstreferentiell operierender (Sub-)Systeme, die durch Ausdifferenzierung entstehen und sich durch Abgrenzung aufrechterhalten, die Luhmann entwickelt, lässt sich mit Haraway jedoch auch komplizieren. So geht Luhmanns Systemtheorie zu leichtfertig von der Unterscheidungskapazität von Systemen aus, die eine Differenzierung von Natur und Gesellschaft setzt. Eine sympoietische Perspektive lässt die Grenze zwischen Sozialem und Natürlichem erodieren und versteht Evolution als unfreiwilligen Prozess des Kooperierens, aber auch (Zer)Störens. Gesellschaft erscheint aus einer solchen Perspektive als Prozess, an dem eine Reihe heterogener Symbionten beteiligt sind, die sich durch systemische Selbstbeschreibung nicht gänzlich (her)einholen lassen. Nicht Ausdifferenzierung ist hier Triebwerk und Maßstab gesellschaftlicher Entwicklung, sondern auch die Komplizierung sozialer (oder besser: natürlichkultureller) Sachverhalte. Der Beitrag zeigt, wie sich dennoch ein Zusammenspiel beider Perspektiven in soziologischen Analysen ökologischer Gefährdung produktiv erweisen kann

    Beings From the Mud: Donna Haraways Arbeiten zu einer relationalen Ontologie

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    Donna J. Haraway: Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University Press 2016. 978-0-8223-6224-1 +++ Donna J. Haraway: Das Manifest für Gefährten: Wenn Spezies sich begegnen. Berlin: Merve 2016. 978-3-88396-385-

    Abhängigkeit und Unverfügbarkeit

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    Erfahrungen der Unverfügbarkeit und Abhängigkeit sind konstitutiv aufeinander verwiesen. Was sich als Unverfügbares ereignet, macht stets Abhängigkeiten erfahr- oder sichtbar. Gegenwärtige Krisenerfahrungen – etwa die Pandemie, aber auch die Folgen der globalen Erderwärmung – speisen sich aus einem Erleben der Gleichzeitigkeit von Unverfügbarkeit und Abhängigkeit, weil sie als Abhängigkeitsvergegenwärtigungen wirken. Der Beitrag skizziert drei Thesen zu einer Soziologie der Dependenz: Der Abhängigkeitsbegriff wird als Schlüsselbegriff der soziologischen Theorie profiliert, ein modernes Unbehagen in der Abhängigkeit herausgearbeitet und schließlich Krisen als Abhängigkeitsvergegenwärtigungen verstanden.&nbsp

    What if I like it? Daily appraisal of technology-assisted supplemental work events and its effects on psychological detachment and work engagement

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    The article processing charge was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – 491192747 and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.Introduction: Information and communication technologies (ICT) allow employees to engage in technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW), such as continuing work tasks and being contacted by supervisors or colleagues after their official working hours. Research has found that TASW can have positive and negative effects on employee wellbeing. Yet, it remains unclear under which circumstances TASW is beneficial or harmful. Building on appraisal theories, we hypothesized that a more positive appraisal of TASW events is related to higher levels of daily psychological detachment and work engagement. We further proposed that daily psychological detachment is positively associated with daily work engagement and mediates the relationship between appraisal of TASW events and daily work engagement. Methods: To test our hypotheses, we conducted a diary study with two surveys per day over five consecutive workdays (N = 135; 245 daily observations). Results: Results of multilevel path analysis showed that a more positive appraisal of TASW was positively related to work engagement. However, appraisal of TASW events was not associated with psychological detachment and, therefore, there was no mediating effect on work engagement. Discussion: Our results contribute to existing research by investigating potential beneficial aspects of TASW and its effects on work engagement. Future research avenues and practical implications are discussed.Peer Reviewe

    Risk of abnormal serum potassium levels for cardiovascular events with specific attention to drugs affecting potassium excretion

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    This dissertation provides the first systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies on the association of abnormal serum potassium levels ( 5.1 mmol/L) and cardiovascular outcomes within specific populations. For this purpose, the medical databases Medline and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception until November 24, 2017. Data synthesis of 24 relevant studies was performed using random-effects model meta-analyses, which finally comprised the data of 310,825 participants. In the older general population, low serum potassium was associated with a 1.6-fold increased risk of supraventricular arrhythmias (hazard ratio [95%-confidence interval]: 1.62 [1.02; 2.55]). Contrarily, high serum potassium was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (1.38 [1.14; 1.66]). In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the risk of ventricular arrhythmias was increased for high serum potassium (2.33 [1.60; 3.38]). A U-shaped association was observed both with a composite cardiovascular outcome in hypertensive patients (2.6-fold increased risk with hypokalemia and 1.7-fold increased risk with hyperkalemia), and with cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients (1.1-fold increased risk with hypokalemia and 1.4-fold increased risk with hyperkalemia) as well as in heart failure patients (not statistically significant). Further, only hyperkalemia was associated with an increased risk of a composite cardiovascular outcome in dialysis patients (1.12 [1.03; 1.23]) and also in chronic kidney disease patients (1.34 [1.06; 1.71]). Due to both a lack of studies and a variety of investigated outcomes and populations, a maximum of six studies was pooled per meta-analysis. The studies included also partly differed with regard to statistical analyses, reporting of results, and cut-off values for serum potassium. However, by using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria with respect to design, statistical methods and definition of serum potassium cut-off values, the studies pooled in meta-analyses were mostly comparable and similar to the cut-off values proposed by the American Heart Association (reference range: 3.5 to 5.1 mmol/L). Given the heterogeneous covariate adjustment among the studies included, I suggest a key set of covariates, which future studies on this topic could use, namely age, sex, body mass index or other weight measure, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. In conclusion, these results suggest that some populations, especially patients with hypertension or heart failure, might profit from more frequent potassium-monitoring and subsequent interventions, such as change or withdrawal of potassium-influencing drugs, in order to restore normal values and prevent cardiovascular outcomes. Secondly, this dissertation presents the first investigation about the associations of use of diuretics overall, non-potassium-sparing diuretics in specific, and laxatives with cardiovascular mortality in participants with antihypertensive treatment. The drug classes were first analysed distinctly and then jointly to detect potential drug-drug interactions in two large-scale cohort studies. While the German ESTHER study served as a derivation cohort to generate hypotheses, the larger UK Biobank was used as a replication cohort to confirm the findings. Methodologically, Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to estimate hazard ratios and 95%-confidence intervals in each study. Results from both studies were then combined in an individual patient-data meta-analysis using the random-effects model. Analyses included 4,253 participants, aged 50 to 75 years, from the ESTHER study and 105,359 participants, aged 50 to 69 years, from the UK Biobank. During 14 and 7 years of follow-up, 476 and 1,616 cardiovascular mortality cases were observed in the ESTHER study and the UK Biobank, respectively. Compared to non-users, a 1.6-fold (1.57 [1.29; 1.90]), a 1.4-fold (1.39 [1.26; 1.53]), and no statistically significantly increased [1.13 [0.94; 1.36]) cardiovascular mortality rate was observed in users of diuretics overall, non-potassium-sparing diuretics in specific, and laxatives, respectively. Concurrent use of non-potassium-sparing diuretics and laxatives was associated with a 2-fold increased cardiovascular mortality (2.05 [1.55; 2.71]) when compared to users of neither diuretics nor laxatives. However, a test for interaction slightly missed statistical significance (p=0.075). The major limitations of these analyses include the prevalent user design with regard to laxatives users, no repeated drug assessments, and a limited extent to control for confounding, in particular for the severity of heart failure and coronary heart disease. Nevertheless, an interaction of non-potassium-sparing diuretics and laxatives appears plausible. Therefore, physicians are highly recommended to clarify additional laxatives use and monitor serum potassium levels more closely (e.g. every 3 months) in concurrent users

    Personal Transparency in Perspective: The Impact of Social Networking Sites on the Recruitment Process

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    The “transparency trend” is hot for the summer of 2011. At least that is what they said in the fashion capitals of Milan, Paris, and London. In the new summer collections, sheer seethrough dresses reveal the beauties of the human body and leave little to the imagination. Architects too are attracted by the intriguing properties of transparent materials to create a new perception of space and boundaries, which challenges some traditional understandings of private living and daily work life. Whereas in the past, it was a Puritan statement to live without curtains at the windows, to show you had nothing to hide, today, the transparent way of life is often used to enable the owner to display their wealth and luxury. Institutions have increasingly followed this transparency trend in fashion and architecture by using glass for their buildings. Transparency is not only a fashion trend, but also a political challenge. Fashion and politics meet in the huge glass buildings of the European Union in Brussels and Strasbourg, which reflect the Union’s strategy to improve its democratic legitimacy; one of the main aims of the Lisbon Treaty (2009). In terms of adaption to this see-through trend, institutions are not only voluntarily moving towards greater transparency, they are being ambushed by those who believe that information is a public good, which should not be guarded by a few. By revealing “suppressed and censored injustices” (WikiLeaks, n.d.), WikiLeaks practices what some call “guerrilla transparency” (The Economist, 2010). When people think of transparency, the recent commotion caused by WikiLeaks’ publication of thousands of documents on nationally and internationally sensitive issues is at the forefront of their minds. This event has triggered a worldwide debate on the balance between state security and citizens’ right to know

    Depressive symptoms affect short- and long-term speech recognition outcome in cochlear implant users

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    Abstract Purpose To investigate the impact of the amount of depressive symptoms in cochlear implant (CI) recipients on the development of speech recognition after CI-activation up to 2 years. Design Retrospective data analysis of a German short form of the Beck Depression Inventory given at initial activation of the implant in relation to monosyllabic word recognition score at conversational level at initial activation and at 3 months, 1 and 2-year follow-up measurements. Study sample Thirty-one CI-patients (11 female, 20 male) aged between 41 and 83 (M = 64.77, SD = 10.43) who were German native speakers, postlingually deafened, with severe hearing loss in both sides but unilaterally implanted (19 right-sided, 12 left-sided). Results The amount of depressive symptoms at initial activation was negatively correlated with the monosyllabic recognition score after 3 months and after 1 year of implant use. Conclusion The psychological status in terms of depressive symptoms is an important parameter regarding the rehabilitative outcome of CI-patients. Care staff and CI-users should be sensitized to the link between depressive symptoms and the development of speech recognition with CI

    A Meta-Analysis on the Link Between Young People's Social Environment, Socioeconomic Status, and Political Violence Outcomes

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    Young people are particularly likely to engage in political violence, hold positive attitudes towards political violence, and show willingness to engage in political violence. The social environment in which young people are immersed is characterized by factors increasing and protecting against the risk of such outcomes. The present meta-analysis systematically summarizes the body of studies on the link between political violence outcomes and risk and protective variables in the following domains: a) parents and family (familial support, familial conflict, parental control, importance of family, parental violence), b) radical networks and peers (having friends with racist or violent attitudes, membership in political groups that oppose mainstream politics, general membership in a peer group), c) school (school attachment, school achievement), and d) socioeconomic status. A total of 288 effect sizes from 44 reference samples met the selection criteria. Findings were combined using two- and three-level meta-analytic models. Average effect sizes ranged between very small to small (|r| = .03 to |r| = .26), with the largest effect sizes detected for membership in a political group that opposes mainstream politics and having friends with racist or violent attitudes. The results are constrained by the low number of eligible samples and the significant level of heterogeneity for many of the meta-analyses.publishedVersio

    Anterior thoracolumbar column reconstruction with the vertebral body stent-safety and efficacy.

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    PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of vertebral body stenting (VBS) by analyzing (1) radiographic outcome, (2) clinical outcome, and (3) perioperative complications in patients with vertebral compression fractures treated with VBS at minimum 6-month follow-up. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, 78 patients (61 ± 14 [21-90] years; 67% female) who have received a vertebral body stent due to a traumatic, osteoporotic or metastatic thoracolumbar compression fracture at our hospital between 2012 and 2020 were included. Median follow-up was 0.9 years with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Radiographic and clinical outcome was analyzed directly, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months postoperatively, and at last follow-up. RESULTS Anterior vertebral body height of all patients improved significantly by mean 6.2 ± 4.8 mm directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at 4.3 ± 5.1 mm at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p < 0.0001). The fracture kyphosis angle of all patients improved significantly by mean 5.8 ± 6.9 degrees directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at mean 4.9 ± 6.9 degrees at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p < 0.0001). The segmental kyphosis angle of all patients improved significantly by mean 7.1 ± 7.6 degrees directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at mean 2.8 ± 7.8 degrees at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p = 0.03). Back pain was ameliorated from a preoperative median Numeric Rating Scale value of 6.5 to 3.0 directly postoperatively and further bettered to 1.0 six months postoperatively (p = 0.0001). Revision surgery was required in one patient after 0.4 years. CONCLUSION Vertebral body stenting is a safe and effective treatment option for osteoporotic, traumatic and metastatic compression fractures
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