"Auftauchen in einem anderen Ort" : als reisende Anthropologin auf Spurensuche – geführt von der Gunst des Augenblicks

Rezension zu: Ina-Maria Greverus : Ästhetische Orte und Zeichen. LIT Verlag, Münster 2005, ISBN 3-8258-9085-6, 488 Seiten, 39,90 Euro

Microwave Disinfection of Biohazardous Carcasses

A Medister microwave device specifically developed for thermal disinfection of infectious waste was assessed concerning its efficacy for the disinfection of biohazard us animal carcasses. Employment of animals for the experiments was avoided by simulation of carcasses with deep frozen nutrient agar contaminated with bacillus subtilis spores. At a disinfection time of 45 minutes, the reduction rate of the spores was 7.90-8.58 decimal power levels. Controlled microwave disinfection is thus a valuable alternative tool for the treatment of contaminated carcasses

HKT transporters : state of the art

The increase in soil salinity poses a serious threat to agricultural yields. Under salinity stress, several Na+ transporters play an essential role in Na+ tolerance in plants. Amongst all Na+ transporters, HKT has been shown to have a crucial role in both mono and dicotyledonous plants in the tolerance to salinity stress. Here we present an overview of the physiological role of HKT transporters in plant Na+ homeostasis. HKT regulation and amino acids important to the correct function of HKT transporters are reviewed. The functions of the most recently characterized HKT members from both HKT1 and HKT2 subfamilies are also discussed. Topics that still need to be studied in future research (e.g., HKT regulation) as well as research suggestions (e.g., generation of HKT mutants) are addressed

Totem und Marke als Phänomene der Bedeutungsvermittlung

Totem und Marke sind auf theoretischer und empirischer Ebene die zentralen Begriffe der vorliegenden Arbeit. Quer durch die Arbeit verbindet die Semiotik die interdisziplinären Ausführungen zu Totem und Marke und bildet die Basis für die Analyse der beiden bedeutungsvermittelnden Phänomene. Von Interesse sind dabei die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede, die die beiden Phänomene, obwohl sie in vollkommen unterschiedlichen Kontexten verortet sind verbindet. Totem und Marke werden dabei als sekundäre, modellbildende, bedeutungsvermittelnde Zeichen- und Klassifizierungssysteme miteinander verglichen. Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass der Mensch ein semiotisches Wesen ist, das auf Zeichen und deren Bedeutung reagiert und über diverse Zeichensysteme mit Angehörigen der Kultur, in der sich bewegt, kommuniziert, werden Totem und Marken als Zeichensysteme betrachtet, die in dieser Kommunikation verwendet werden. Die Darstellung des semiotischen Zeichenverständnisses unterschiedlicher Forscher bilden die Grundlage für die Betrachtung von Totem und Marke als Zeichen. Darauf folgt die Darstellung von Waren und Gütern als semiotisches System im Sinne des Semiotikers Ferdinand de Saussure. Den Schwerpunkt in der Analyse des Zeichens Totem bildet die deutlich an der Semiotik und Linguistik ausgerichtete strukturalistische Theorie zum Totemismus von Claude Lévi-Strauss. Vor der Analyse von Marke als Zeichen wird die empirische Untersuchung in Form einer Deskription dargestellt. Die empirische Studie setzt sich aus einer Vorstudie zur Exploration des Forschungsfeldes in Form von Experteninterviews und den daraufhin geführten qualitativen Leitfadeninterviews mit 20 österreichischen Jugendlichen zusammen. Die Inhalte der qualitativen Studie fließen in Form einer ethnographischen Beschreibung in die Arbeit ein. Die qualitativen Leitfadeninterviews werden zudem einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse unterzogen, deren Ergebnisse in der Betrachtung der Marke und ihrer Bedeutung für Jugendliche als Kontrapunkt zu den theoretischen Ausführungen zum Zeichen Marke einfließen. Im letzten Abschnitt der Arbeit werden die Zeichen Totem und Marke nicht mehr getrennt betrachtet sondern auf semiotischer Ebene miteinander verglichen. Neben der Klärung des Begriffs der Identität bei Totem und Marke beinhaltet dieser Teil die Auseinandersetzung mit den beiden Zeichen als sozialer Code, als Symbol und als Formen der Repräsentation. Erkenntnisse der qualitativen Studie sind integrativer Bestandteil der theoretischen Analyse.This thesis focuses on theoretical and empirical aspects of totem and brand. The unifying concept in respect of the interdisciplinary implementation of totem and brand is semiotics, which distinguishes these two phenomena in bestowing significance. Both similarities and differences, which are intrinsic to the two phenomena are examined, even though they appear in different contexts. Both concepts are compared as secondary, model defining, significance-transporting signs and how they are classified. On the basis that humans react to signs and symbols and interpret and discuss them in various ways with members of their own culture, totem and brands are regarded as a system of signs, which are central forms of communication. The representation of how semiotic symbols are perceived by different researchers forms the basis of totem and brand as symbols. As a consequence goods and commodities are portrayed as a semiotic system as suggested by Ferdinand de Saussure. The structuralist theory of totemism, developed by Claude Levi-Strauss, defined by semiotics and linguistics, is the central thesis of this analysis. The brand as symbol is based upon empirical research described appropriately. The empirical part is based on expert interviews and guided interviews with 20 young Austrian persons. The results of these qualitative studies is summarized and presented as an ethnographic description. The qualitative guided interviews are subjected to a qualitative content analysis, which results in the representation of the brand and its significance for young people as a counterpoint to the theoretical notions of brands as symbols. In the last part of the thesis totem and brand are compared on a semiotic level, rather than as separate entities. In addition to the clarification of the concept of totem and brand identity this part also deals with both as forms as social codes, symbols and forms of representation. Results of the qualitative study are integrated into the theoretical analysis

Transformation towards Sustainable Business Models in Production: A Case Study of a 3D Printer Manufacturer

A global transformation from Industry 4.0 towards Industry 5.0 will soon take place. Such transformations are intrinsic to human and sustainable value creation. An increasing number of companies, recognising this imminent trend, will need to transform their current classical, solely profit-oriented business models into sustainable business models that also target human, social, and environmental aspects. Various frameworks already exist that support the design of sustainable business models. Practical applications of these frameworks and research on the transformation process in the production domain, which places a special focus on small and medium enterprises, is still scarce. This paper presents the first results from a sustainable business model transformation project on a European SME, which produces 3D printers. The research method applies a single case study design. The study was based on publicly available information and qualitative data, obtained through interviews and workshops carried out on an executive management level

Are commonly used self-report inventories suitable for screening postpartum depression and anxiety disorders?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66459/1/j.1600-0447.2000.102001071.x.pd

Exploring the Quality of Life of People in North Eastern and Southern Thailand.

The assumption that development brings not only material prosperity but also a better overall quality of life lies at the heart of the development project. Against this, critics assert that development can undermine social cohesion and threaten cultural integrity. Rarely, however, is the impact of development on wellbeing rigourously analysed using empirical data. This is what the Wellbeing in Developing Countries Group at the University of Bath aims to do drawing on fieldwork carried out in four developing countries, which addresses the themes of resources, needs, agency and structure, and subjective Quality of life (QoL). The first phase of the QoL research in Thailand aimed to explore the categories and components of quality of life for people from different backgrounds and locations with the aim of developing methods for QoL assessment in the third phase of the WeD QoL research. The study presents data obtained from rural and peri-urban sites in Southern and Northeastern Thailand (two villages in Songkhla and three in Khon Kaen, Mukdaharn, and Roi-et). Participants were divided into six groups by gender and age, and were divided again by religion (Buddhist and Muslim) and wealth status in the South. Data collection was conducted between October and December 2004 using focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and the Person Generated Index. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The use of a qualitative approach enabled the gathering of empirical data that reflects the sources of difficulty and happiness in the lives of participants. Respondents identified 26 aspects to their quality of life, including family relations, health and longevity, income and having money, jobs, housing, education, debt, and so on. The results reveal clear similarities and differences in the role of traditions, religious beliefs, and values in the lives of people living in remote rural or peri-urban areas in Northeastern and Southern Thailand. These results, together with the findings from Peru, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, will inform the rest of the WeD research and be used to develop measures to assess the quality of life of people living in developing countries