Critical geography in Germany: from exclusion to inclusion via internationalisation

Critical perspectives have become more visible in German human geography. Drawing on an analysis of the debate around the German reader "Kulturgeographie" published in 2003, we suggest that this case provides new insights into the "geography of critical geography". We briefly discuss the history of critical geography in Germany, leading to a comparison of the conditions of critical geography around 1980 and in recent years. The focus is on two factors in the changed role of critical perspectives in German geography: (1) the growing internationalisation of German geography, which opened new avenues and allowed new approaches to enter the discipline; and (2) the high citation indices of "critical" journals, which leads to an enhanced reputation and a high significance of international critical geography in the German discipline. However, we draw an ambiguous conclusion: the increased role of critical approaches in German geography is linked to a growing neoliberalisation of academia and a decline of critical approaches in other disciplines

Critical geography in Germany: from exclusion to inclusion via internationalisation

Critical perspectives have become more visible in German human geography. Drawing on an analysis of the debate around the German reader “Kulturgeographie” published in 2003, we suggest that this case provides new insights into the “geography of critical geography”. We briefly discuss the history of left geography in Germany, leading to a comparison of the conditions of left geography around 1980 and in recent years. The focus is on two factors in the changed role of critical perspectives in German geography: (1) the growing internationalisation of German geography, which opened new avenues and allowed new approaches to enter the discipline; and (2) the high citation indices of “critical” journals, which leads to an enhanced reputation and a high significance of international critical geography in the German discipline. However, we draw an ambiguous conclusion: the increased role of critical approaches in German geography is linked to a growing neoliberalisation of academia and a decline of critical approaches in other disciplines

Antibody-coating of bacteria in the urine in relation to various immunologic indexes

Antibody-coating of bacteria in the urine in relation to various immunologic indexes. Little is known about the immunologic aspects of antibody coating, though the test for determining antibody-coated bacteria in urine has been examined for its diagnostic uses by many authors after its inauguration in 1974. In adults with chronic pyelonephritis with and without antibody-coated bacteria in the urine, we tested whether bacterial coating is correlated with the homologous O-antibody titre in the urine. We also determined Ig levels in urine and serum, as well as homologous O-antibody titres in serum. By means of indirect immunofluorescence technique, we were able to show homologous O-antibodies in the urine of all patients with and without antibody-coated bacteria. IgG and IgA levels in urine were mostly raised, as were often the O-antibody titres in the serum. There were no significant differences in the immunologic parameters within the patient groups with or without antibody-coating. The presence of homologous O-antibodies in urine does not therefore necessarily lead to coating of the bacteria.Recouvrement des bactéries par des anticorps en relation avec divers index immunologiques. Les connaissances concernant l'aspect immunologique du recouvrement par des anticorps sont peu nombreuses bien que le test de détection dans l'urine de bactéries recouvertes d'anticorps ait été évalué pour son utilité diagnostique par de nombreux auteurs depuis sa description en 1974. Chez des adultes atteints de pyélonéphrite chronique avec et sans présence dans l'urine de bactéries recouvertes d'anticorps nous avons recherché une corrélation entre ce recouvrement et le titre d'anticorps homologue O dans l'urine. Nous avons aussi déterminé les concentrations d'Ig dans l'urine et le sérum, de même que le titre de l'anticorps homologue O dans le sérum. Au moyen de la technique d'immunofluorescence indirecte nous avons pu mettre en évidence des anticorps homologues O dans les urines de tous les malades, qu'elles contiennent ou non des bactéries recouvertes d'anticorps. Les concentrations d'IgG et d'IgA dans l'urine étaient le plus souvent élevées de même que les titres d'anticorps O dans le sérum. Il n'a pas été observé de différence significative dans les index immunologiques dans les groupes de malades avec ou sans recouvrement des bactéries par des anticorps. La présence d'anticorps homologues O dans l'urine n'implique pas nécessairement le recouvrement des bactéries

Stadt, Land, AfD

Im Beitrag entwickeln wir einen kritischen Blick auf die Geographie der Wahlergebnisse der Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) bei den Bundestagswahlen 2017. Wir hinterfragen Erklärungsmuster, die in einem starren Stadt-Land-Gegensatz verhaftet bleiben und die komplexe Prozesshaftigkeit der Urbanisierung ignorieren. Dagegen gehen wir mit Henri Lefebvre und Theodor W. Adorno vom Urbanen und Ruralen als sozialen Verhältnissen aus, die sich im übergeordneten Prozess der Urbanisierung in dialektischer Weise scheiden sowie räumlich im Spannungsverhältnis von Zentrum und Peripherie materialisieren. Beispielhaft illustrieren wir diesen Prozess in der Diskussion von drei unterschiedlichen Orten, an denen die AfD bei den Bundestagswahlen besonders erfolgreich war: dem Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald als Fall einer umfassenden Peripherisierung, dem Quartier Pforzheim-Haidach als peripheres Zentrum und dem Stadtteil Mannheim-Schönau als zentrale Peripherie. Der Beitrag versucht damit eine räumliche Perspektive auf aktuelle Erfolge des Rechtspopulismus zu entwickeln wie auch Stadt-Land-Verhältnisse konzeptionell neu zu erfassen

Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis in a high income country: A report of four unrelated cases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multi drug resistance <it>of Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>(<it>M. tuberculosis</it>) remains a major threat to public health, reinforced by recent reports about the clinical course of patients infected with extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains in South Africa. There is little information about the clinical course of XDR tuberculosis patients in industrialised countries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated all isolates of <it>M. tuberculosis</it>, in which drug susceptibility testing was performed at our institution since 1997, for multi and extensive drug resistance. Clinical courses of patients infected by strains fulfilling the recently revised criteria for XDR tuberculosis were analysed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four XDR <it>M. tuberculosis </it>isolates were identified. All patients had immigrated to Germany from Russia, Georgia, and former Yugoslavia and none were infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. All patients where treated for tuberculosis for 5.5 to 15 years and for XDR tuberculosis for 1.9 to 2.5 years. They received inhospital treatment in Germany for 11 months, 4.5 years and twice for 6 years. Non-compliance was an important factor in all four patients, three patients had to be treated in Germanys only locked facility for tuberculosis treatment. One patient with XDR tuberculosis died, one patient had still open pulmonary tuberculosis at last contact and 2 patients were cured.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cases of XDR tuberculosis have been treated in our region for several years. Even in a high income setting, XDR tuberculosis has a tremendous impact on quality of live, outcome and the total cost. All reasonable efforts to prevent the spread of XDR tuberculosis must be made and maintained.</p

Gleichwertige Lebensverhältnisse?

GLEICHWERTIGE LEBENSVERHÄLTNISSE? Gleichwertige Lebensverhältnisse? / Kallert, Andreas (Rights reserved) ( -