Using a mixed international comparable methodological approach in a European Commission project on gender and engineering

Gegenstand des Beitrags ist das europäische Forschungsprojekt "WomEng - Creating Cultures of Success for Women Engineers" (www.womeng.net). Es handelt sich hierbei um ein international vergleichendes Projekt der Berufs- und Geschlechterforschung. Die Verfasserin erörtert Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen, die sich beim Design eines komplexen international vergleichenden Forschungsprojekts ergeben, sowie Aspekte des internationalen Vergleichs geschlechtsspezifischer Faktoren der Ingenieurausbildung. Behandelt werden die Operationalisierung der Forschungsfragen sowie Probleme der eingesetzten quantitativen (Fragebogenkonstruktion, Stichprobe, Validität, Reliabilität) und qualitativen Methoden (Leitlinien für Interviews, Zielgruppeninterviews, Beobachtung und Inhaltsanalyse von Websites; Implementation der Leitlinien; qualitative Datenanalyse). Die auftretenden Probleme werden abschließend auf drei Ebenen diskutiert: (1) Probleme des Vergleichs verschiedener Kulturen; (2) methodologische Probleme; (3) Probleme im Kontext der Geschlechterforschung. (ICE

Mesenchymal Differentiation and Organ Distribution of Established Human Stromal Cell Lines in NOD/SCID Mice

Two human stromal cell lines were established previously from bone marrow-derived primary long-term cultures by immortalization using the SV40 large T antigen and cellular cloning. After irradiation, the fibroblast-like cell lines L87/4 and L88/5 support hematopoietic differentiation of allogeneic cord blood cells in vitro. The stromal cells do not express CD34 and CD50, but some adhesion molecules and integrins, such as CD44, CD54 and CD58. Their expression profiles on RNA and protein levels are suggestive of their osteogenic potency. The quality and quantity of osteocalcin and osteopontin protein expression depended on the culture conditions. Expression of the osteogenic markers increased over time in culture, especially in cells growing in clusters. The stromal cells also expressed collagens I and V, but did not show any expression of collagens II and III. The potentially osteoblastic stromal cells were transplanted into NOD/SCID recipient mice by intravenous injection and were found in various mesenchymal organs up to 10 weeks after transplantation. Osteocalcin-positive human stromal cells could be detected in the bone marrow, thymus, liver, brain and gut of the recipient animals. In summary, there is evidence that human bone-marrow-derived stromal cells have to be considered mesenchymal progenitors, persistently expressing osteogenic markers in vitro and in vivo. Copyright (C) 2001 S, Karger AG, Basel

Improved arteriogenesis with simultaneous skeletal muscle repair in ischemic tissue by SCL plus multipotent adult progenitor cell clones from peripheral blood

Background: The CD34- murine stem cell line RM26 cloned from peripheral blood mononuclear cells has been shown to generate hematopoietic progeny in lethally irradiated animals. The peripheral blood-derived cell clones expresses a variety of mesodermal and erythroid/myeloid transcription factors suggesting a multipotent differentiation potential like the bone marrow-derived `multipotent adult progenitor cells' (MAP-C). Methods: SCL+ CD34- RM26 cells were transfused intravenously into mice suffering from chronic hind-limb ischemia, evaluating the effect of stem cells on collateral artery growth and simultaneous skeletal muscle repair. Results: RM26 cells are capable of differentiating in vitro into endothelial cells when cultured on the appropriate collagen matrix. Activation of the SCL stem cell enhancer (SCL+) is mediated through the binding to two Ets and one GATA site and cells start to express milieu- and growth condition-dependent levels of the endothelial markers CD31 (PECAM) and Flt-1 (VEGF-R1). Intravenously infused RM26 cells significantly improved the collateral blood flow (arteriogenesis) and neo-angiogenesis formation in a murine hind-limb ischemia transplant model. Although transplanted RM26 cells did not integrate into the growing collateral arteries, cells were found adjacent to local arteriogenesis, but instead integrated into the ischemic skeletal muscle exclusively in the affected limb for simultaneous tissue repair. Conclusion: These data suggest that molecularly primed hem-/mesangioblast-type adult progenitor cells can circulate in the peripheral blood improving perfusion of tissues with chronic ischemia and extending beyond the vascular compartment. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Information processing in stated preference surveys A case study on urban gardens

For valid preference elicitation, stated preference surveys must provide information on the good to be valued, and respondents must process and recall the information. Previous studies show that the amount and type of information can affect stated preferences and the validity of value estimates, but how respondents process this information has been less researched. Some studies find correlations between preferences and respondent engagement with the information, but our study is the first to randomly and exogenously manipulate factors of engagement in a stated preference survey. Drawing on stated preference guidance and psychological concepts, we estimate the effect of quiz questions (asking about the content of the information) and self -reference questions (asking how the information personally relates to the respondent) on (i) engagement, (ii) information recall, and (iii) stated preferences in a discrete choice experiment survey valuing the ecosystem services of urban gardens in the German cities of Berlin and Stuttgart. Our results indicate that respondents spend more time on the information page when confronted with quiz rather than self-reference questions. For both question types, we do not find effects on recall or stated preferences. The results suggest that questions which increase engagement offer no simple fix to enhance information processing. Thus, alternative ways of reinforcing engagement, comprehension, and information recall in stated preference surveys should be developed and applied

Information, consequentiality and credibility in stated preference surveys: A choice experiment on climate adaptation

Information provided in valuation surveys has been shown to afect stated preferences, which in turn may matter for the validity and reliability of survey-based value estimates. Although information efects are widely documented in stated preference studies, the reasons underlying the efects are less established. We focus on information about the policy context of the valuation scenario and examine two pathways which may help explain how including such information in a survey afects stated preferences. We hypothesize and empirically analyze whether the information efects on stated preferences can emerge as a result of changed perceptions about (1) the survey consequentiality and (2) the credibility of the valuation scenario upon facing the additional information. Our results confrm that the frequently found information efects can be present in the context of urban green and climate adaptation. The role of the additional information appears to be negligible for consequentiality perceptions. In contrast, the additional information strengthens the perceived credibility, and this may partially explain the information efects on stated preferences. We conclude that stated preference research may beneft from an increased attention to perceived credibility of the valuation scenario

Feministische Perspektiven auf das SeniorInnenstudium. Reflexionen zu meinem beruflichen Engagement in der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung für Ältere (BAG WiWA)

Die Autorin gibt in diesem Erfahrungsbericht einen historischen Überblick über die Einführung des SeniorInnenstudiums an der Universität Gesamthochschule Wuppertal (später Bergische Universität Wuppertal) und über die überregionale Vernetzung in der „Bundesvereinigung Öffnung der Hochschulen für ältere Erwachsene“, einem bundesweiten Netzwerk, der späteren BAG WiWA. (DIPF/Orig.