Die dialektische Aneignung der Gattungsgeschichte: Fredric Jamesons "Magical Narratives"

Gattungstheorie und Gattungsgeschichte sind unmittelbar aufeinander verwiesen. Im Zuge poststrukturalistischer Theorien wird das Konzept von Gattungen zunehmend als unzulänglich ausgewiesen. Dabei kann es nicht in letzter Instanz aufgehoben sein, da es für die Produktion und Rezeption von literarischen Texten unzweifelhaft maßgebend ist. Fredric Jamesons gattungstheoretische Überlegungen in „Magical Narratives“ bilden einen methodologischen Entwurf zur Frage, wie das Konzept von Gattungen als Gegenstand der Literaturwissenschaft verhandelt werden kann. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wird Jamesons dialektischer Gebrauch der Gattungskritik kontextualisiert und kritisch reflektiert. Ein besonderes Augenmerk gilt der zweifachen Ausführung der „Magical Narratives“, die zunächst 1975 als Aufsatz in New Literary History und später in verschiedener Ausarbeitung als zweites Kapitel von The Political Unconscious (1981) veröffentlicht wurden. Die leitende Hypothese lautet, dass Jamesons dialektischer Gebrauch der Gattungskritik in die dialektische Aneignung der Gattungsgeschichte mündet. Es zeigt sich, dass insbesonders die zweite Version der „Magical Narratives“ kaum eine exemplarische Skizze für den Umgang mit dem Konzept von Gattungen überhaupt darstellt. Die Gattung Romanze bildet in Jamesons Theorie kein Beispiel, sondern wird in Analogie zur teleologischen Geschichtsauffassung des Marxismus gesetzt. Insofern ist Jamesons gattungstheoretisches Interesse nur im Kontext seines Entwurfs einer neuen marxistischen Hermeneutik in The Political Unconscious adäquat nachvollziehbar. Im Besonderen erweist sich die sprachphilosophische Grundlegung der „Magical Narratives“ als problematisch und zeigt an, dass sich eine weitere Auseinandersetzung mit Jamesons gattungstheoretischen Überlegungen als aufschlussreich erweisen könnte, was im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit allerdings nicht geleistet werden kann

Qualitative Analysis of Different CRM Evaluation Models

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help companies to manage their business processes. Specially for sales, campaigns, contact management, etc. The simpler and more efficient the business processes are executed, the more profitable these companies can be. Therefore, the process of selecting and evaluating a CRM system is an important success factor for each company in every industry and in every company size. The qualitative analysis of CRM evaluation models examines the necessary phases and activities for selecting a new CRM system. It is important to go through the relevant phases in the selection in order to be able to make a decision in a structured manner

Selfstorage

Diese Diplomarbeit untersucht anhand der Dienstleistung Selfstorage, deren Angebot und Nachfrage in den letzten Jahren in Wien stark gestiegen ist, Platzmangel und -bedarf im Kontext urbanen Wohnens. Eines der Selfstorage-Dienstleistungsunternehmen in Wien, ‘My Place‘, bekundete sein Interesse an einer soziologischen Analyse der ursächlichen Einflussfaktoren und Hintergründe dieser Nachfrage. Daher wurden in der vorliegenden Studie der Bedarf nach zusätzlichem Stau- und Lagerraum außerhalb des eigenen Wohnverbandes sowie die gesamtgesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen, die diesem Bedarf zugrunde liegen, erforscht. Um einen möglichst breiten Einblick in die Thematik Selfstorage zu erlangen, wurden mehrere qualitative Methoden miteinander kombiniert: Es wurden teilnehmende Beobachtungen an drei Standorten des Unternehmens ‘My Place‘, Leitfadengespräche mit fünf Angestellten, dem geschäftsführenden Teilhaber dieses Unternehmens, einer Sozialarbeiterin im Bereich der Wohnungslosenhilfe, als auch problemzentrierte Interviews mit sechzehn aktuellen oder ehemaligen Kunden von ‘My Place‘ durchgeführt. Wesentliche Ergebnisse: Die Dienstleistung Selfstorage ist ein urbanes Phänomen und hängt mit Problematiken städtischer Dichte, wie im Falle Wiens Verdichtungen der Wohnnutzungsintensität in innerstädtischen Gebieten sowie die geringe Berücksichtigung des Bedürfnisses nach ausreichend Stau- und Lagerraum beim Bau von Wohnungen, zusammen. Das Aufkommen und die steigende Nachfrage nach dieser Dienstleistung reflektieren darüber hinaus den gesellschaftlichen Trend der Pluralisierung der Lebensstile. Durch die Vielfalt von Familien- und Haushaltsformen, die steigende Mobilität sowie die Kulturalisierung und Stilisierung der Lebensführung kann es zu veränderten und variablen Platzbedürfnissen und -ansprüchen in Bezug auf persönlich nutzbaren Wohn- und/oder Lagerraum, kommen. Am Wohnungsmarkt werden diese Entwicklungen jedoch zu wenig berücksichtigt, was sich verstärkt auf die Nachfrage nach der Dienstleistung Selfstorage niederschlägt. Die problemzentrierten Interviews haben gezeigt, dass die Beweggründe, einen zusätzlichen Lagerraum anzumieten, überaus vielschichtig sind. Die Analyse erfolgte daher im Kontext der dynamischen Wechselwirkungen der drei Faktoren Individuen – Räume – Objekte, was sich als geeigneter Analyserahmen erwiesen hat. Anhand dieser Vorgehensweise konnte aufgezeigt werden, dass die Wohnsituation, die Ausgestaltung und Einrichtung sowie die Bedeutung der eigenen Wohnung, subjektive Einstellungen zu Wohnmobilität, der Umgang und die Relevanz persönlicher Güter sowie die Gestaltung der Freizeit und damit verknüpfte Hobbytätigkeiten einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf den persönlichen Platzbedarf haben.On basis of self storage facilities this thesis investigates the lack of and need for space in context of urban living. In Vienna the supply and demand for this self storage services increased significantly over the last few years. The self storage company ‘My Place’ in Vienna expressed their interest in a sociological analysis of this new demand, investigating the determining factors and background. Therefore this study examines the need for additional storage space apart from housing arrangements as well as the overall social developments connected to this demand. To gain deeper understanding this study combines several methods of qualitative research: Participant observations at three locations of the company ’My Place’, guideline-interviews with five employees, the companies’ managing stockholder, a social worker who is working with homeless people as well as sixteen problem-focused interviews with current or former clients of ’My Place’ were carried out. Main results: Self storage facilities are an urban phenomenon due to problems arising from the density of cities. In the case of Vienna these problems are related to the agglomeration of residential structures in the inner-city areas as well as the inadequate consideration of sufficient storage-space in the construction of dwellings. Moreover, the appearance and the increasing demand for this service reflect the societal developments in terms of the pluralisation of lifestyles. Due to the variety of family and household structures, increasing mobility and the culturalisation and stylization of lifestyles, the need and requirement for space in matters of personally usable room for living and/or storing things are changing and also varying. The housing market however pays hardly any attention to these developments, which increases the demand for self storage. The problem-focused interviews have shown that the reasons for renting additional storage-space are very complex. Thus the analysis was carried out in context with the dynamic interactions between three factors, actors, spaces and objects, which has proven to be a suitable conceptual framework for this study. By proceeding in this way this study demonstrates that the housing situation, the arrangement, furnishing and as well as the meaning of one’s own apartment, subjective attitudes towards residential mobility, the handling and relevancy of personal goods and the organization of leisure time as well as the associated hobbies have an essential effect on the personal space requirements

Paths to the unknown: dispersal during the early life of fishes

The special issue brings together selected contributions from the 39th Annual Larval Fish Conference hosted by the University of Vienna, Austria, and presents the latest research and understanding of dispersal patterns and processes of early life stages of fishes of various aquatic environments around the world (open ocean, coastal areas, estuaries, and rivers). An important component of this compendium is to indicate new approaches and to outline the importance of integration of information about movements and dispersal for recruitment, population dynamics, species conservation, and management issue

Epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation in pediatric lens epithelial cells

PURPOSE. Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a complication after cataract surgery, particularly in children. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells, mediated by transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), contributes to PCO. However, its pathogenesis in children is poorly understood. We correlated cell growth in culture with patient characteristics, studied gene expression of pediatric lens epithelial cells (pLEC), and examined the effects of TGF beta-2 on these cells in vitro. METHODS. Clinical characteristics of children with cataracts correlated with growth behavior of pLEC in vitro. mRNA expression of epithelial (alpha B-crystallin, connexin-43) and mesenchymal (alpha(V)-integrin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, collagen-I alpha 2, fibronectin-1) markers was quantified in pLEC and in cell line HLE-B3 in the presence and absence of TGF beta-2. RESULTS. Fifty-four anterior lens capsules from 40 children aged 1 to 180 months were obtained. Cell outgrowth occurred in 44% of the capsules from patients <= 12 months and in 33% of capsules from children aged 13 to 60 months, but in only 6% of capsules from children over 60 months. TGF beta-2 significantly upregulated expression of alpha B-crystallin (HLE-B3), alpha(V)-integrin (HLE-B3), collagen-I alpha 2, and fibronectin-1 (in pLEC and HLE-B3 cells). CONCLUSIONS. Patient characteristics correlated with growth behavior of pLEC in vitro, paralleling a higher clinical incidence of PCO in younger children. Gene expression profiles of pLEC and HLE-B3 suggest that upregulation of alpha(V)-integrin, collagen-I alpha 2, and fibronectin-1 are involved in EMT

Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Sleep Disorders

BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiological and experimental data suggest a negative influence of shortened or disturbed night sleep on glucose tolerance. Due to the high prevalence of sleep disorders this might be a major health issue. However, no comparative studies of carbohydrate metabolism have been conducted in clinical sleep disorders. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and assessed additional parameters of carbohydrate metabolism in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS, N = 25), restless legs syndrome (RLS, N = 18) or primary insomnia (N = 21), and in healthy controls (N = 33). Compared to controls, increased rates of impaired glucose tolerance were found in OSAS (OR: 4.9) and RLS (OR: 4.7) patients, but not in primary insomnia patients (OR: 1.6). In addition, HbA1c values were significantly increased in the same two patient groups. Significant positive correlations were found between 2-h plasma glucose values measured during the OGTT and the apnea-arousal-index in OSAS (r = 0.56; p<0.05) and the periodic leg movement-arousal-index in RLS (r = 0.56, p<0.05), respectively. Sleep duration and other quantitative aspects of sleep were similar between patient groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that some, but not all sleep disorders considerably compromise glucose metabolism. Repeated arousals during sleep might be a pivotal causative factor deserving further experimental investigations to reveal potential novel targets for the prevention of metabolic diseases

Novel Echinacea formulations for the treatment of acute respiratory tract infections in adults—A randomized blinded controlled trial

BackgroundEchinacea purpurea has clinical antiviral activity against respiratory viruses and modulates immune functions. In this study, we compared higher doses of new Echinacea formulations with conventional formulations at lower, preventive doses for therapy of respiratory tract infections (RTIs).MethodsIn this randomized, blinded, controlled trial, healthy adults (n = 409) were randomized between November 2018 and January 2019 to one of four Echinacea formulations, which were taken in case of an RTI for up to 10 days. New formulations A (lozenges) and B (spray) delivered an increased dose of 16,800 mg/d Echinacea extract during days 1–3 and 2,240–3,360 mg/d afterward; as controls, conventional formulations C (tablets) and D (drops) delivered a lower daily dose of 2,400 mg, usually taken for prevention. The primary endpoint was time to clinical remission of first RTI episodes based on the Kaplan–Meier analysis of patient-reported, investigator-confirmed, respiratory symptoms assessed for up to 10 days. In a sensitivity analysis, the mean time to remission beyond day 10 was calculated by extrapolating the treatment effects observed on days 7 to 10.ResultsA total of 246 participants (median age 32 years, 78% female participants) were treated for at least one RTI. Recovery by day 10 (complete absence of symptoms) was achieved in 56 and 44% of patients with the new and conventional formulations, respectively, showing a median time to recovery of 10 and 11 days, respectively (p = 0.10 in intention-to-treat analysis, p = 0.07 in per-protocol analysis). In the extrapolated sensitivity analysis, new formulations resulted in a significantly shorter mean time to remission (9.6 vs. 11.0 days, p &lt; 0.001). Among those with an identified respiratory virus, viral clearance until day 10 based on real-time PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs was more frequent with new formulations (70 vs. 53%, p = 0.046). Tolerability and safety (adverse events: 12 vs. 6%, p = 0.19) were good and similar between formulations. There was one severe adverse event with a potential hypersensitivity reaction in a recipient of the novel spray formulation.ConclusionIn adults with acute RTI, new Echinacea formulations with higher doses resulted in faster viral clearance than conventional formulations in prophylactic dosages. The trend for faster clinical recovery was not significant by day 10 but became so upon extrapolation. A dose increase during acute respiratory symptoms might improve the clinical benefits of orally administered Echinacea formulations.Trial registrationThe study was registered in the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (SNCTP000003069) and on ClinicalTrials.gov (NTC03812900; URL https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03812900?cond=echinacea&amp;draw=3&amp;rank=14)

Responses of aquatic plants to eutrophication in rivers: a revised conceptual model

Compared to research on eutrophication in lakes, there has been significantly less work carried out on rivers despite the importance of the topic. However, over the last decade, there has been a surge of interest in the response of aquatic plants to eutrophication in rivers. This is an area of applied research and the work has been driven by the widespread nature of the impacts and the significant opportunities for system remediation. A conceptual model has been put forward to describe how aquatic plants respond to eutrophication. Since the model was created, there have been substantial increases in our understanding of a number of the underlying processes. For example, we now know the threshold nutrient concentrations at which nutrients no longer limit algal growth. We also now know that the physical habitat template of rivers is a primary selector of aquatic plant communities. As such, nutrient enrichment impacts on aquatic plant communities are strongly influenced, both directly and indirectly, by physical habitat. A new conceptual model is proposed that incorporates these findings. The application of the model to management, system remediation, target setting, and our understanding of multi-stressor systems is discussed. We also look to the future and the potential for new numerical models to guide management