Smart Heat Supply in Austria within the PITAGORAS Project

AbstractThe European funded cooperative research and demonstration project PITAGORAS is focused on efficient integration of city districts with industrial parks through smart thermal grids. The overall objective of the project is to demonstrate a highly replicable, cost-effective and greatly energy efficient large-scale energy generation system for sustainable urban planning of low energy city districts. As part of the project two demonstration plants namely in Brescia, Italy and Kremsmünster, Austria are being designed and will be built and tested during the project. The demonstration plant in Austria focuses on installing a large-scale solar thermal system of 10,000 m2; including seasonal storages with a total capacity of 60,000 m3 in order to supply the local district with heat and to reduce the gas consumption of a large combined heat and power (CHP) plant nearby. Additionally, to the demonstration plant in Austria the collector efficiency of several different collector types of different collector manufacturers is being tested under real outside conditions, which may give valuable insights on these collectors in order to choose the most efficient collector for the demonstration plant and ultimately on the future development of solar collectors

Die Übersetzung der Kashinawa-Mythen in Theodor Koch-Grünbergs Indianermärchen aus Südamerika

Neben seinen ethnologischen und linguistischen Studien zu indigenen Kulturen der Amazonasregion beschäftigte sich der deutsche Brasilienforscher Theodor KochGrünberg auch mit indigenen Mythen und hatte klare Vorstellungen davon, wie diese mündlich überlieferten Erzählungen dokumentiert und übersetzt werden sollten. Modellcharakter hatte für ihn die interlineare Übersetzung des brasilianischen Historikers João Capistrano de Abreu von Texten aus dem Kashinawa, einer Panosprache, die noch heute im brasilianisch-peruanischen Grenzgebiet von Mitgliedern der ethnischen Gruppe gesprochen wird. Capistranos Textsammlung Rã-txa hu-ni ku-ĩ wurde 1914 in Brasilien veröffentlicht. Bereits 1920 erfolgte die Publikation der Indianermärchen aus Südamerika durch Koch-Grünberg, wobei von den 117 ins Deutsche übertragenen Geschichten 13 aus Capistranos Werk stammten. In diesem Beitrag soll anhand ausgewählter Textbeispiele die Übersetzung Koch-Grünbergs aus dem Kashinawa ins Deutsche diskutiert werden. Grundlage war dabei die transkribierte Textsammlung in Originalsprache mit einer Wort-für-Wort-Übersetzung ins Portugiesische sowie einem angehängten Glossar und einem Grammatiksketch. In Koch-Grünbergs eigenen Aufzeichnungen wird zusätzlich deutlich, dass es sich um einen multiplen Übersetzungsprozess handelt: von einem mündlich präsentierten narrativen Diskurs mit performativen Elementen in Schriftsprache, von einer indigenen Sprache Südamerikas in eine typologisch weit entfernte europäische und von einer vollkommen unbekannten Kultur in eine für den brasilianischen wie den deutschen Leser nachvollziehbare.In addition to his ethnological and linguistic studies regarding indigenous cultures of the Amazon region the German naturalist Theodor Koch-Grünberg had an interest in indigenous myths and a clear idea of how to document and translate such narratives that are traditionally passed on orally. In this respect the interlinear translation, presented by the Brazilian historian João Capistrano de Abreu, of texts from the Panoan language Cashinahua, still spoken in the Brazilian-Peruvian border region, served him as a model. Capistrano´s text collection Rã-txa huni ku-ĩ was published in Brazil in 1914. As soon as 1920 followed Koch-Grünberg´s publication of Indianermärchen aus Südamerika. As many as 13 of the 117 narratives that Koch-Grünberg had translated into German were taken from Capistrano´s book. By presenting examples from the text this article aims at discussing Koch-Grünberg´s translation from Cashinahua into German. His work was based on Capistrano´s collection of original texts, transcribed and translated in a word-by-word fashion into Portuguese, together with a glossary and a grammar sketch also contained in the book. Koch-Grünberg´s own work clearly shows that the translation process is multiple: from an orally presented narrative discourse with performative elements into written language, from a South-American indigenous into a typologically distinct European language and from a completely unknown culture into one that is comprehensible for a Brazilian as well as for a German reader

Ideophone im Awetí

The dissertation describes the phenomenon of ideophones in Awetí, a Tupian language spoken in the Amazonian lowlands in Central Brazil. Ideophones are marked words in Awetí discourse which are performed rather than simply spoken and which depict salient features of activities. The dissertation also includes a concise grammar of the Awetí language.Die Doktorarbeit beschreibt das Phänomen der Ideophone in Awetí, einer Tupi-Sprache, die im Amazonastiefland in Zentralbrasilien gesprochen wird. Bei Ideophonen handelt es sich um markierte Wörter im Awetí Diskurs, die zusätzlich zur rein sprachlichen eine performative Ebene haben und perzeptionell auffällige Eigenschaften von Aktivitäten abbilden. Die Dissertation enthält zusätzlich eine Kurzgrammatik des Awetí

Über die Relevanz schulischer Einflussfaktoren auf Bildungskarrieren – Ein Vergleich zweier Fallstudien

Dieser Beitrag setzt sich mit Ungleichheit im österreichischen Bildungssystem auseinander und geht insbesondere der Frage nach der Relevanz schulischer Einflüsse auf das Gelingen von Bildungskarrieren nach. Ausgehend von einer Systematisierung bekannter schulischer Einflussfaktoren auf Bildungsverläufe werden mit Hilfe qualitativer empirischer Daten Laufbahnen von formal unterschiedlich erfolgreichen Personen rekonstruiert und miteinander verglichen, um die Zusammenhänge von Faktoren, welche Bildungsverläufe maßgeblich beeinflussen, zu verstehen. In den angeführten Beispielen zeigen sich Kumulationen von hinderlichen Einflüssen durch Versäumnisse auf schulischer Ebene, aber auch potenzielle Kompensationen von Bedingungen innerhalb und außerhalb des Bildungssystems, wodurch Risiken, aber auch Chancen durch das Handeln schulischer Akteure/ innen ersichtlich werden. (Autorenreferat)This article deals with inequalities in the Austrian educational system and focuses on the question how school-based factors of influence are relevant for the success of educational careers. On the basis of a systematization of known factors of influence, qualitative empirical data are used to reconstruct and compare educational careers with varying degrees of success in order to understand the interplay of factors of influence. The examples provided, they show accumulations of hindering factors due to failures at school level, but also potential compensations of conditions within and beyond the educational system. This indicates risks as well as chances linked to activities of school players. (author's abstract

A "little bit illegal”? Withholding and withdrawing of mechanical ventilation in the eyes of German intensive care physicians

Research questions and background: This study explores a highly controversial issue of medical care in Germany: the decision to withhold or withdraw mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. It analyzes difficulties in making these decisions and the physicians' uncertainty in understanding the German terminology of Sterbehilfe, which is used in the context of treatment limitation. Used in everyday language, the word Sterbehilfe carries connotations such as helping the patient in the dying process or helping the patient to enter the dying process. Yet, in the legal and ethical discourse Sterbehilfe indicates several concepts: (1) treatment limitation, i.e., withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (passive Sterbehilfe), (2) the use of medication for symptom control while taking into account the risk of hastening the patient's death (indirekte Sterbehilfe), and (3) measures to deliberately terminate the patient's life (aktive Sterbehilfe). The terminology of Sterbehilfe has been criticized for being too complex and misleading, particularly for practical purposes. Materials and methods An exploratory study based on qualitative interviews was conducted with 28 physicians from nine medical intensive care units in tertiary care hospitals in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The method of data collection was a problem-centered, semi-structured interview using two authentic clinical case examples. In order to shed light on the relation between the physicians' concepts and the ethical and legal frames of reference, we analyzed their way of using the terms passive and aktive Sterbehilfe. Results Generally, the physicians were more hesitant in making decisions to withdraw rather than withhold mechanical ventilation. Almost half of them assumed a categorical prohibition to withdraw any mechanical ventilation and more than one third felt that treatment ought not to be withdrawn at all. Physicians showed specific uncertainty about classifying the withdrawal of mechanical ventilation as passive Sterbehilfe, and had difficulties understanding that terminating ventilation is not basically illegal, but the permissibility of withdrawal depends on the situation. Conclusions The physicians' knowledge and skills in interpreting clinical ethical dilemmas require specific improvement on the one hand; on the other hand, the terms passive and aktive Sterbehilfe are less clear than desirable and not as easy to use in clinical practice. Fear of making unjustified or illegal decisions may motivate physicians to continue (even futile) treatment. Physicians strongly opt for more open discussion about end-of-life care to allow for discontinuation of futile treatment and to reduce conflic

Fortalecendo língua e cultura indígena: o Projeto Caxinauá (2006-2011)

Em 2006, iniciou-se um projeto de documentação da língua dos caxinauás (huni kuinan hantxa), grupo pano que vive na área fronteiriça entre o Brasil e o Peru. Durante o projeto, foram coletados dados audiovisuais e revisado o material já existente em diversos formatos. O objetivo oficial do programa DoBeS era um acervo digital, acessível a toda comunidade acadêmica. Um objetivo do projeto, porém, era a participação da própria comunidade indígena em termos de trabalho nos dados, seleção de temas e acesso ao e usufruto dos resultados. O projeto optou ainda por valorizar a formação em linguística de professores caxinauás e a troca de ideias relativas a conceitos de metalinguagem linguística. Em parte, essas atividades podiam ser financiadas com verbas do projeto, devido às mudanças nos paradigmas relacionados à conduta de pesquisa. Outras atividades foram realizadas com apoio de vários parceiros culturais e educacionais. Foi publicada uma re-transcrição e tradução da primeira coletânea de textos caxinauás de Capistrano de Abreu (1914); fotos e gravações antigas de cantos tradicionais foram digitalizados e disponibilizados à comunidade; diversos aspectos da língua e cultura foram abordados nas oficinas segundo a demanda local. Em 2018, foi possível mostrar alguns resultados desse trabalho em uma exposição em Belém, conceituada em conjunto com membros da comunidade, na qual dois representantes do grupo propuseram visitas monitoradas ao público. Nesta comunicação, apresentamos algumas das possibilidades de como, a partir de um projeto declaradamente científico em comunidade indígena, pode-se desenvolver atividades para fortalecer a língua, valorizar práticas socioculturais e dar mais visibilidade social para a comunidade em questão. A pesquisa científica junto com a pesquisa aplicada

Prioritization strategies for pandemic influenza vaccine in 27 countries of the European Union and the Global Health Security Action Group: a review

Background: Although there is rapid progress in vaccine research regarding influenza pandemic vaccines it is expected that pandemic influenza vaccine production can only start once the pandemic virus has been recognized. Therefore, pandemic vaccine capacity will be limited at least during the first phase of an influenza pandemic, requiring vaccine prioritization strategies. WHO recommends developing preliminary priorities for pandemic vaccine use. The goal of this review is to provide a thorough overview of pandemic vaccine prioritization concepts in the 27 European Union (EU) member states and the four non-EU countries of the Global Health Security Action Group. Methods: Between September and December 2006 data was collected for each country through two data sources: (i) the national influenza pandemic plan; (ii) contacting key persons involved in pandemic planning by email and/or phone and/or fax Results: Twenty-six (84%) countries had established at least one vaccine priority group. Most common reported vaccine priority groups were health care workers (HCW) (100%), essential service providers (ESP) (92%) and high risk individuals (HRI) (92%). Ranking of at least one vaccine priority group was done by 17 (65%) of 26 countries. Fifteen (88%) of these 17 countries including a ranking strategy, decided that HCW with close contact to influenza patients should be vaccinated first; in most countries followed and/or ranked equally by ESP and subsequently HRI. Rationales for prioritization were provided by 22 (85%) of 26 countries that established vaccine priority groups. There was large variation in the phrasing and level of detailed specification of rationales. Seven (32%) of 22 countries providing rationales clearly associated each vaccine priority group with the specific rationale. Ten (32% of the 31 countries studied) countries have consulted and involved ethical experts to guide decisions related to vaccine prioritization. Conclusion: In the majority of the countries the establishment of vaccine priority groups, ranking and underlying rationales are in line with WHO recommendations. In most public plans the criteria by which prioritized groups are identified are not easily recognizable. Clarity however, may be necessary to assure public acceptability of the prioritization. Ethical experts, results of modelling exercises could play an increasing role in the future decision making process

Partizipatorische pädagogische Diagnostik

Lehrpersonen haben im Rahmen der pädagogischen Diagnostik neben der Analyse von Lernvoraussetzungen und Lehr-Lernprozessen den Auftrag, »Zuweisung zu Lerngruppen oder zu individuellen Förderungsprogrammen [zu] ermöglichen« (Ingenkamp & Lissmann, 2008, S. 13). Den damit verbundenen Zuschreibungsprozessen, die einen »Ort der Macht« (Butler, 2009, S. 11) darstellen, wohnt ein identitätsstiftender und transformierender Charakter inne. Für SchülerInnen spielt pädagogische Diagnostik damit eine zentrale Rolle für ihr Selbstkonzept, ihre Bildungs- und infolge ihre Berufs- und Lebenschancen. Im Zentrum dieses Beitrags wird über ein Forschungsprojekt berichtet, das die Frage verfolgt, wie SchülerInnen erkennen und deutlich machen können, was sie brauchen, um zu werden, was sie werden können und wollen, und nicht durch das Zuschreiben oder Absprechen von Fähigkeiten beschränkt werden. Die konzipierte partizipatorische Diagnostik bietet ein Modell, mithilfe dessen Lehrpersonen alle SchülerInnen auf ihrer Entwicklung hin zu aktiven GestalterInnen ihrer Bildungsprozesse begleiten können, und dient auch dazu, vorhandene Barrieren, gesellschaftliche Normen und Normalitätsvorstellungen sowie wirkmächtige Diskurse und Machtverhältnisse sichtbar zu machen.Teachers play a significant role for their students’ educational careers. Besides analysis of conditions of learning and learning processes, the field of pedagogical diagnostics implies the allocation of students to groups of learners or to special support programs (Ingenkamp & Lissmann, 2008). Consequently, pedagogical diagnostics are crucial for the students’ self-concept, their prospective educational opportunities and thus also for their career and life opportunities. Therefore, the fact that students’ knowledge concerning their abilities and needs are hardly used in the process of diagnostics needs to be changed. This paper deals with the question how students themselves can recognise and make clear what they are able to do and what they need in order to become what they want to become and not be restricted by others’ attributions of (non-)ability. The presented approach of emancipatory and dialogic diagnostics enables all students to actively design their educational processes. Moreover, it helps to make existing barriers, social norms and normative notions of reality as well as efficacious discourses and power structures visible in order to contribute to their reduction

Niedergelassene Ärzte als Multiplikatoren der Influenzaimpfung bei älteren Menschen, chronisch Kranken und medizinischem Personal

Die Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) und das Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) haben im Oktober 2006 mit Maßnahmen zur Steigerung der Durchimpfungsrate bei Risikogruppen begonnen. Zur Ansprache von Älteren und chronisch Kranken wurden niedergelassene Ärzte (Internisten, Allgemeinmediziner, Pädiater) als Multiplikatoren gewählt: Den Ärzten wurden zielgruppenspezifische Aufklärungsmaterialien zugesandt, und sie wurden in einem Anschreiben dazu aufgefordert, die Influenzaimpfung insbesondere bei Patienten der Risikogruppen durchzuführen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Erhebung des Impfstatus der niedergelassenen Ärzte und ihrer Mitarbeiter, die Befragung der niedergelassenen Ärzte zu Einstellungen zur Influenzaerkrankung und -impfung bei Patienten der Risikogruppen und die Erhebung des Anteils der Niedergelassenen, der Patienten der Risikogruppen zur Durchführung der Influenzaimpfung motiviert. Die Befragung wurde mittels Telefoninterviews (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview, CATI) durchgeführt. Befragt wurden 700 Ärzte, davon 432 Allgemeinmediziner, 178 Internisten und 90 Pädiater. Die Influenzaimpfquote der befragten Niedergelassenen liegt bei 73% in der Saison 2006/7. Das Hauptmotiv für die Impfung ist der eigene Schutz vor einer Erkrankung. 93% der Niedergelassenen bewerten eine Influenzaerkrankung für ältere Menschen, 94% für chronisch Kranke und 59% für medizinisches Personal als gefährlich. Die Influenzaimpfung wird von den befragten Ärzten als sehr effektiv zur Krankheitsvorbeugung bei allen drei Gruppen eingeschätzt (von 93% für Ältere, von 94% für chronisch Kranke und von 83% für medizinisches Personal). Die Hälfte (50%) aller befragten Niedergelassenen empfiehlt allen drei Patientengruppen eine Influenzaimpfung. Trotz einer hohen Sensibilität für die Gefährlichkeit einer Influenzaerkrankung und einer positiven Bewertung der Influenzaimpfung zur Krankheitsvorbeugung ist der Anteil der befragten Niedergelassenen, der die Impfung allen drei Patientengruppen empfiehlt, mit 50% zu niedrig. Die Optimierung des Empfehlungsverhaltens niedergelassener Ärzte bezüglich der Influenzaimpfung wird ein Ansatzpunkt der Maßnahmen von BZgA und RKI in den Folgenjahren sein.The Federal Center for Health Education (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung – BZgA) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) started a national vaccination campaign against influenza in October 2006. Main target groups are people aged 60 and above, patients with chronic conditions, and health care workers (HCWs). The recommendation of the physician is very important for a patient’s decision to be vaccinated against influenza. Therefore, measures to increase the vaccination rate of the elderly and patients with chronic conditions were aimed at physicians as key communicators. This survey was designed to assess influenza vaccination status of physicians (general practitioners, internists, pediatricians) and their employees. Furthermore, influenza-related attitudes of the physicians and the percentage of physicians who recommend the vaccination to target groups were determined. A telephone-based survey (computer-assisted telephone interview - CATI) was conducted. A total of 700 physicians participated (432 general practitioners, 178 internists and 90 pediatricians). Physicians reported an influenza vaccination rate of 73% during the 2006/2007 influenza season. Most physicians were vaccinated to protect themselves. A total of 93% of the respondents consider influenza as dangerous for elderly patients, 94% for patients with chronic conditions, and 59% for HCWs. Vaccination is seen as very effective to prevent an influenza infection by the physicians (of 93% for the elderly, of 94% for the chronically ill, and of 83% for HCWs). Half of the physicians recommend influenza vaccination to the elderly, the chronically ill as well as to HCWs. Though physicians are well aware of the potential danger of an influenza infection for these target groups, the percentage of physicians (50%) who recommend vaccination is too low. Future optimization measures of the influenza campaign of BZgA and RKI will focus more closely on physicians’ recommendations to patients of target groups

Effect of near‐bed turbulence on chronic detachment of epilithic biofilm: Experimental and modeling approaches.

The biomass dynamics of epilithic biofilm, a collective term for a complex microorganism community that grows on gravel bed rivers, was investigated by coupling experimental and numerical approaches focusing on epilithic biofilm‐flow interactions. The experiment was conducted during 65 days in an artificial rough open‐channel flow, where filtered river water circulated at a constant discharge. To characterize the effect of near‐bed turbulence on the chronic detachment process in the dynamics of epilithic biofilm, local hydrodynamic conditions were measured by laser Doppler anemometry and turbulent boundary layer parameters inferred from double‐averaged quantities. Numerical simulations of the EB biomass dynamics were performed using three different models of chronic detachment based upon three different descriptors for the flow conditions: Discharge Q, friction velocity u*, and roughness Reynolds number k+. Comparisons of numerical simulation results with experimental data revealed chronic detachment to be better simulated by taking the roughness Reynolds number as the external physical variable forcing chronic detachment. Indeed, the loss of epilithic matter through the chronic detachment process is related not only to hydrodynamic conditions, but also to change in bottom roughness. This suggests that changes in the behavior and dimensions of river bed roughness must be considered when checking the dynamics of epilithic biofilm in running waters