The birth of the (non) European author

The Birth of the (Non)European Author draws attention to the power relations between subaltern authors and the field of publishing, especially focusing on the ownership of author rights and the representation of authorship. By particularly concentrating on the creation and marketing of "indigenous authorship" and "marginality" as goods on the global book market, the relationship between "subaltern/marginalised" authors and agents of the book market, such as editors and publishers is highlighted as unbalanced and precarious. This book traces the genre testimonial narration, from slave narratives to African-American child soldier memoirs, analysing the relationship of Western publishing modes and what is being sold as “African authorship”. Combining explorations of theories of representation and authorship with close readings of testimonial narrations and the analysis of the relationship between professional writer and witness, this book contributes to the field of postcolonial theory, globalization studies and book history. Anna-Katharina Krüger studied Comparative Literature at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and Book History at the Oxford Brookes University. As a scholar of the DFG research training group "Globalization and Literature - Representations, Transformations, Interventions" she finished and defended her dissertation in 2017. Her research focus lies on postcolonial literature, authorship and representation theory as well as testimonial narration

The birth of the (non) European author

The Birth of the (Non)European Author draws attention to the power relations between subaltern authors and the field of publishing, especially focusing on the ownership of author rights and the representation of authorship. By particularly concentrating on the creation and marketing of "indigenous authorship" and "marginality" as goods on the global book market, the relationship between "subaltern/marginalised" authors and agents of the book market, such as editors and publishers is highlighted as unbalanced and precarious. This book traces the genre testimonial narration, from slave narratives to African-American child soldier memoirs, analysing the relationship of Western publishing modes and what is being sold as “African authorship”. Combining explorations of theories of representation and authorship with close readings of testimonial narrations and the analysis of the relationship between professional writer and witness, this book contributes to the field of postcolonial theory, globalization studies and book history. Anna-Katharina Krüger studied Comparative Literature at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and Book History at the Oxford Brookes University. As a scholar of the DFG research training group "Globalization and Literature - Representations, Transformations, Interventions" she finished and defended her dissertation in 2017. Her research focus lies on postcolonial literature, authorship and representation theory as well as testimonial narration

Understanding migration decisions and their reverberations

Migration has become a defining feature of the contemporary global landscape. It is estimated that in 2020, there were 281 million international migrants worldwide, repre- senting 3.6% of the world’s population (IOM, 2022). International migration (henceforth typically abbreviated simply as migration) is one of the most complex issues facing policymakers today, and understanding its many inter- connected factors is essential for designing effective policies. The decision to migrate is a complex one that involves a wide range of economic, social, and political factors at both the individual and household levels. Once the decision to migrate is made, forecasting the flow of refugees and migrants becomes crucial for policy-makers and practitioners alike. Finally, the perception of host populations toward immigrants and refugees is an impor- tant aspect of the migration process that can shape the success or failure of integration policies and programs. My dissertation delves into the complexities of the migration process, which involves various steps that policymakers need to consider when crafting efficient policies. To this end, I have written four papers that explore different aspects of migration. These papers cover a wide range of topics, including the decision to migrate, predicting refugee flows, and examining public attitudes toward immigrants, both generally and in Sub-Saharan African countries in particular. Furthermore, I employ four different methods across my four papers - survey-observational, machine learning, meta-analytic, and experimental - to gain a more complete understanding of the decision to migrate and its various factors. By taking this broad approach both thematically as well as methodology-wise, I can provide detailed insights into the complexities of migration and offer valuable guidance for policymakers seeking to design effective and evidence-based policies. IOM. (2022). World migration report 2022. IOM

Vorkommen von TFF3 in den Geweben des Skelettsystems und Bedeutung für dortige Heilungsprozesse via Chemotaxis

Ein eingehendes Verständnis für die Wundheilungsprozesse des Skelettsystems und Möglichkeiten der modulatorischen Einflussnahme sind, besonders im Kontext von Wundheilungsstörungen, von besonderer Bedeutung. TFF3 (Trefoil Factor 3) ist ein Protein, dessen Rolle im Zusammenhang mit Wundheilungsvorgängen vieler verschiedener Gewebe erforscht wird. Über die Bedeutung von TFF3 für die Wundheilung im Skelettsystem ist jedoch bisher wenig bekannt. Ziel dieser Arbeit war daher, die Anwesenheit von TFF3 in den Geweben des Skelettsystems und dessen Funktion während dortiger Wundheilungsprozesse zu untersuchen

Quantitative Explanation as a Tight Coupling of Data, Model, and Theory

What does it mean to explain data patterns? Cognitive psychologists and other scientists face this question when observable phenomena have to be explained in theoretical terms. Frequentist null-hypothesis testing – one prominent approach in psychology – controls error rates. Machine learning – an alternative prominent outside of, but not yet inside psychology – focuses on precise predictions. However, both alternatives often provide little insight into the data. We propose a combination of formal modeling and Bayesian statistical inference to ground explanations in data analysis. We support this approach by reference to philosophy of science and discussions of the current methods crisis in several empirical sciences and illustrate it with an example from visual attention research

Entwicklung eines Astrozytom-Modells aus primären Astrozyten der Maus mit regulierbarer Proliferation

Das Glioblastoma multiforme des Menschen (GBM) entsteht entweder sekundär aus Ast-rozytomvorstufen oder de novo. Die vorliegenden Erkenntnisse der zugrundeliegenden molekulargenetischen Veränderungen und beteiligten Signalwege lassen weiter viele Fragen bei der Astrozytom- und Glioblastom-Entwicklung unbeantwortet. Die Fortschrit-te in der Grundlagenforschung wie auch bei den klinischen Therapieformen konnten die extrem schlechte Prognose dieser häufigsten primären Hirntumoren bisher kaum verbes-sern. Die neue WHO-Klassifikation der Gliome von 2016 berücksichtigt erstmals mole-kularbiologische Eigenschaften. Es werden dringend weiterentwickelte Modelle der Ast-rozytom- und Gliomentstehung für ein besseres Verständnis der Krankheitsentwicklung und als Basis für neue therapeutische Ansätze benötigt. In bisherigen Forschungsarbeiten konnte an primären p53-knock-out-Astrozyten mit Aktivierung von myr-Akt und c-Myc eine maligne Zelltransformation erreicht werden. Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen sollte das Modell durch eine Proliferationssteuerung über ein Tet-System weiterentwickelt werden, um so die Tumorgenese in vivo modifizie-ren zu können. In dieser Arbeit wurde in primäre p53-knock-out-Astrozyten über retrovi-rale Plasmidtransduktionen myr-Akt und ein regulierbares c-Myc eingebaut. Die Regula-tion der Proliferation erfolgte dabei über ein pBabe-Promotor-gesteuertes Tet-System. Die Plasmide verfügten über verschiedene Antibiotika-Resistenzen um so eine Ausselek-tionierung zu erreichen. In Zellkulturen konnte eine gute Regulierbarkeit auch in höheren Passagen bestätigt werden. Auf dieser Grundlage erfolgten stereotaktische in-vivo-Versuche mit BL6-Mäusen. Diese zeigten, dass sich die Zellproliferation auch in vivo über entsprechende Tetracyclingaben steuern lässt. Die auf diesem Weg im Mausmodell induzierten Tumore zeigten nun deutlich besser als in früheren Modellen eine Multifor-mität und verschiedene Differenzierungen der Tumorzellen wie sie für das menschliche GBM typisch sind

Challenges and proposed solutions in making clinical research on COVID-19 ethical: a status quo analysis across German research ethics committees

Background: In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biomedical research community's attempt to focus the attention on fighting COVID-19, led to several challenges within the field of research ethics. However, we know little about the practical relevance of these challenges for Research Ethics Committees (RECs). Methods: We conducted a qualitative survey across all 52 German RECs on the challenges and potential solutions with reviewing proposals for COVID-19 studies. We de-identified the answers and applied thematic text analysis for the extraction and synthesis of challenges and potential solutions that we grouped under established principles for clinical research ethics. Results: We received an overall response rate of 42%. The 22 responding RECs reported that they had assessed a total of 441 study proposals on COVID-19 until 21 April 2020. For the review of these proposals the RECs indicated a broad spectrum of challenges regarding (1) social value (e.g. lack of coordination), (2) scientific validity (e.g. provisional study planning), (3) favourable risk-benefit ratio (e.g. difficult benefit assessment), (4) informed consent (e.g. strict isolation measures), (5) independent review (e.g. lack of time), (6) fair selection of trial participants (e.g. inclusion of vulnerable groups), and (7) respect for study participants (e.g. data security). Mentioned solutions ranged from improved local/national coordination, over guidance on modified consent procedures, to priority setting across clinical studies. Conclusions: RECs are facing a broad spectrum of pressing challenges in reviewing COVID-19 studies. Some challenges for consent procedures are well known from research in intensive care settings but are further aggravated by infection measures. Other challenges such as reviewing several clinical studies at the same time that potentially compete for the recruitment of in-house COVID-19 patients are unique to the current situation. For some of the challenges the proposed solutions in our survey could relatively easy be translated into practice. Others need further conceptual and empirical research. Our findings together with the increasing body of literature on COVID-19 research ethics, and further stakeholder engagement should inform the development of hands-on guidance for researchers, funders, RECs, and further oversight bodies

"Ich denk nicht, dass meine Jungs einen typischen Mädchenberuf ergreifen würden": intersektionale Perspektiven auf Fremd- und Selbstrepräsentationen von Jungen in der Jungenarbeit

"Seit einiger Zeit richtet sich die pädagogische Aufmerksamkeit verstärkt auf Jungen, entsprechende Projekte zur Jungenpädagogik sind mittlerweile implementiert. Gestützt auf qualitative Daten aus einer Studie zu Wirkungsweisen von Jungenpädagogik diskutiert der Beitrag Divergenzen in den Fremd- und Selbstrepräsentationen von Jungen in sprachlich geäußerten Einstellungen und Praktiken. Es zeigt sich, dass die Fremdrepräsentationen der pädagogischen Professionellen wie auch ihre Didaktik und Methodik eher von stereotypen Sichtweisen geprägt sind. Bei Jungen hingegen lässt sich sowohl auf der praxeologischen Handlungsebene als auch in der Praxisreflexion eine erhebliche Ausdifferenzierung feststellen." (Autorenreferat)"For some time now, pedagogic attention has increasingly focused on boys and projects specifically aimed at them have been implemented. Based on qualitative research on the modus operandi of pedagogy for boys, this article discusses differences between the boys' self-images and their perception by education professionals as expressed in attitudes and practices. It can be shown that pedagogic professionals tend to have a stereotypical image of boys, which dominates their didactic approach and methodology. In contrast, there is a wide variety in both the boys' practices and their reflections on them." (author's abstract