An Educational Framework for Equity and Inclusion in Planning

As societal discourse about equity has increased, so has the need for planning practitioners to be educated about equity-related issues. This study examines the planning curricula of the 22 land-grant institutions accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) to assess whether these programs align with the new emphasis on equity in the most recent PAB accreditation standards. Finding a notable lack of required courses explicitly addressing the topic among most of the programs surveyed, this thesis goes on to propose a framework for developing a course on equity in planning, using existing literature on planning education and guidance from the American Planning Association (APA) and PAB. The resulting framework builds on existing equity-centric courses that have traditionally been focused on race or class, exploring the inclusion in urban spaces (or lack thereof) of other identities – immigrant/refugee status, disability, gender, and age among them. Advisor: Zhenghong Tan

Development of a Targeted Mass Spectrometry Method for the Detection and Quantification of Peanut Protein in Incurred Food Matrices

The unintentional presence of peanut in food products through allergen cross-contact is a considerable safety concern for peanut-allergic individuals. The food industry monitors for this contamination using immunoassays; however, these detection methods demonstrate issues with recovery and accurate quantification of allergenic protein when analyzing processed, complex food matrices. Of particular concern is the deficit in immunoassay-based detection and quantification of peanut in cookie and dark chocolate matrices, as the unintentional presence of peanut has been observed in these food products. A liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the detection and quantification of peanut protein in cookie and dark chocolate was developed to overcome the issues plaguing immunoassays in analysis of peanut in these matrices. Peanut-incurred cookie and dark chocolate matrices were generated at various concentrations of peanut. Untargeted MS analysis of incurred matrices identified and quantified peanut peptides. Peptides were subjected to selection criteria, based on abundance and robustness in matrix, to determine 32 (cookie) and 67 (dark chocolate) candidate target peptides for the method. Candidate peptides were filtered to determine robust and sensitive target peptides in each matrix using iterative rounds of targeted MS. Six (cookie) and seven (dark chocolate) final peptides were determined. This resulted in nine unique peanut peptides for the method. A quantitative strategy was developed based on stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptides and an external calibration to peanut flour (PF). Quantification was reported in parts per million (ppm) peanut protein. Optimization of various aspects of the method, including instrument parameters, LC, and sample preparation, improved the method’s sensitivity and variability. The LC-MS/MS method was evaluated with incurred matrices and demonstrated highly sensitive and reliable detection, even at low concentrations of peanut protein (1.24 ppm peanut protein in cookie and 2 ppm peanut protein in dark chocolate). This sensitivity is sufficient to detect peanut concentrations relevant for the most sensitive peanut-allergic individuals. Advisors: Philip E. Johnson and Melanie L. Down

Ökohydrologisches Monitoring von Landnutzungsänderungen

Due to agricultural intensification during the past decades, the hydrology of peat lands of the northern German lowlands has been altered heavily. Drainage and fertilization resulted in high nutrient losses to aquatic ecosystems and a decline in biodiversity. Within an intensive monitoring programme in Ritzerau, northern Germany, the effects of conversion to organic farming and rewetting on hydrology, nutrient transformations, floristic diversity and the eligibility for extensive cattle grazing are studied in a formerly degraded stream valley wetland. Results indicate that the nutrient transformation and retention performance of this complex is driven by the mutual hydrological exchange rates between the wetland and the stream. Due to the degraded state of the system exchange processes are still short-term. Despite effective short-term retention of up to 99% of NO3-N and 65% of SRP a net export occurred from the stream wetland com-plex. A shifting dominance of wetland and in-stream nutrient retention could be identi-fied. High exports were found for SRP with the falling limb of the hydrograph, when the stream received elevated groundwater discharge from the wetland. The water levels in the wetland were raised by the rewetting measures and grazing is limited. It is shown by the grazing intensity though that during a transition phase, the formerly more inten-sively used part of the wetland is preferred by the cattle despite higher water levels. Plant species numbers have not increased yet, but the less grazed parts of the wet-land show higher abundances of abandonment species, e.g. Phalaris arundinacea. Our ongoing monitoring serves to improve land use and restoration measures for biodiversity and nutrient retention

Die Entwicklung von Gottesbildern bei Kindern unter Berücksichtigung ihrer religiösen Sozialisation:eine Untersuchung im Blick auf Schülerinnen und Schüler der dritten und vierten Jahrgangsstufe

Die Erfahrungen mit Gott, die Kinder zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Einschulung gesammelt haben, unterscheiden sich grundlegend. Während Gott für manche fester Bestandteil ihres Lebens ist, ist er anderen kein Begriff. In der Entwicklungspsychologie wird seit langem die religiöse Entwicklung des Menschen untersucht. Auch die Entwicklung der Gottesvorstellungen von Menschen wurde bereits in diversen Studien erforscht. Doch hat die religiöse Sozialisation Auswirkungen auf die religiöse Entwicklung von Kindern und Jugendlichen? Beeinflusst sie die Entwicklung ihrer Gottesbilder? Ist es möglich, für alle Kinder von den gleichen Modellen auszugehen? Um diesen Fragen nachzugehen, befragte die Autorin Kinder der dritten und vierten Jahrgangsstufe einer niedersächsischen Grundschule nach ihren Vorstellungen von Gott. Die Ergebnisse von zwölf in ihrer religiösen Sozialisation vergleichbaren Kindern werden in dieser Arbeit im Anschluss an die Darstellung theoretisch relevanter Gesichtspunkte ausgewertet

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht und die bundesrepublikanische Zeitgeschichtsforschung : eine rechtspolitische Erfolgsgeschichte und das Desinteresse des Faches Geschichte : Antrittsvorlesung 4. Februar 2019 / PD Dr. Rainer Möhler

Antrittsvorlesung des Privatdozenten Dr. Rainer Möhler. Mit der Antrittsvorlesung endet das Habilitationsverfahren, das mit Ihrem Antrag, im Juni 2017 begonnen hat. Es wurde mit der Habilitationsschrift über die „Reichsuniversität Straßburg 1940-1944 – eine nationalsozialistische Musteruniversität zwischen Wissenschaft, Volkstumspolitik und Verbrechen“ abgeschlossen, die von drei internen Gutachtern – Frau Clemens, Herrn Hudemann und Herrn Riemer – und dem externen Gutachter – Herrn Kißener in Mainz – begutachtet und als „exzellente Forschungsleistung“ bewertet worden ist

Chick CFC Controls Lefty1 Expression in the Embryonic Midline and Nodal Expression in the Lateral Plate

AbstractMembers of the EGF-CFC family of proteins have recently been implicated as essential cofactors for Nodal signaling. Here we report the isolation of chick CFC and describe its expression pattern, which appears to be similar to Cfc1 in mouse. During early gastrulation, chick CFC was asymmetrically expressed on the left side of Hensen's node as well as in the emerging notochord, prechordal plate, and lateral plate mesoderm. Subsequently, its expression became confined to the heart fields, notochord, and posterior mesoderm. Implantation experiments suggest that chick CFC expression in the lateral plate mesoderm is dependent on BMP signaling, while in the midline its expression depends on an Activin-like signal. The asymmetric expression domain within Hensen's node was not affected by application of FGF8, Noggin, or Shh antibody. Implantation of cells expressing human or mouse CFC2, or chick CFC on the right side of Hensen's node randomized heart looping without affecting expression of genes involved in left–right axis formation, including SnR, Nodal, Car, or Pitx2. Application of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to the midline of Hamburger–Hamilton stage 4-5 embryos also randomized heart looping, but in contrast to the overexpression experiments, antisense oligodeoxynucleotide treatment resulted in bilateral expression of Nodal, Car, Pitx2, and NKX3.2, whereas Lefty1 expression in the midline was transiently lost. Application of the antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to the lateral plate mesoderm abolished Nodal expression. Thus, chick CFC seems to have a dual function in left–right axis formation by maintaining Nodal expression in the lateral plate mesoderm and controlling expression of Lefty1 expression in the midline territory

Proteomic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii ME49 derived strains resistant to the artemisinin derivatives artemiside and artemisone implies potential mode of action independent of ROS formation.

The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin and its amino-artemisinin derivatives artemiside (GC008) and artemisone (GC003) are potent antimalarials. The mode of action of artemisinins against Plasmodium sp is popularly ascribed to 'activation' of the peroxide group by heme-Fe(II) or labile Fe(II) to generate C-radicals that alkylate parasite proteins. An alternative postulate is that artemisinins elicit formation of reactive oxygen species by interfering with flavin disulfide reductases resposible for maintaining intraparasitic redox homeostasis. However, in contradistinction to the heme-activation mechanism, the amino-artemisinins are effective in vitro against non-heme-degrading apicomplexan parasites including T. gondii, with IC 50 values of 50-70 nM, and induce distinct ultrastructural alterations. However, T. gondii strains readily adapted to increased concentrations (2.5 μM) of these two compounds within few days. Thus, T. gondii strains that were resistant against artemisone and artemiside were generated by treating the T. gondii reference strain ME49 with stepwise increasing amounts of these compounds, yielding the artemisone resistant strain GC003R and the artemiside resistant strain GC008R. Differential analyses of the proteomes of these resistant strains compared to the wildtype ME49 revealed that 215 proteins were significantly downregulated in artemisone resistant tachyzoites and only 8 proteins in artemiside resistant tachyzoites as compared to their wildtype. Two proteins, namely a hypothetical protein encoded by ORF TGME49_236950, and the rhoptry neck protein RON2 encoded by ORF TGME49_300100 were downregulated in both resistant strains. Interestingly, eight proteins involved in ROS scavenging including catalase and superoxide dismutase were amongst the differentially downregulated proteins in the artemisone-resistant strain. In parallel, ROS formation was significantly enhanced in isolated tachyzoites from the artemisone resistant strain and - to a lesser extent - in tachyzoites from the artemiside resistant strain as compared to wildtype tachyzoites. These findings suggest that amino-artemisinin derivatives display a mechanism of action in T. gondii distinct from Plasmodium

Differential Effects of Whole Red Raspberry Polyphenols and Their Gut Metabolite Urolithin A on Neuroinflammation in BV-2 Microglia

Whole red raspberry polyphenols (RRW), including ellagic acid, and their gut-derived metabolite, urolithin A (UroA), attenuate inflammation and confer health benefits. Although results from recent studies indicate that polyphenols and UroA also provide neuroprotective effects, these compounds differ in their bioavailability and may, therefore, have unique effects on limiting neuroinflammation. Accordingly, we aimed to compare the neuroprotective effects of RRW and UroA on BV-2 microglia under both 3 h and 12 and 24 h inflammatory conditions. In inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP stimulation after 3 h, RRW and UroA suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and regulated the JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway. UroA also reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression and promoted M2 microglial polarization. During inflammatory conditions induced by either 12 or 24 h stimulation with LPS, UroA—but not RRW—dampened pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and suppressed JNK/c-Jun signaling. Taken together, these results demonstrate that RRW and its gut-derived metabolite UroA differentially regulate neuroprotective responses in microglia during 3 h versus 12 and 24 h inflammatory conditions

Resource sharing in business-to-business contexts: a conceptualisation and guide for future research

The purpose of the study is to conceptualise sharing in the B2B context by reviewing three literature fields, which deal with B2B sharing but have not yet been integrated: B2B sharing economy, horizontal collaboration, and industrial symbiosis. A systematic literature review is used, based on 51 studies from the three fields. Findings are structured into: 1) Four key conceptual constructs – actors (who), resources (what), governance (how), motivations (why) and 2) Implementation barriers of B2B sharing. From an integrated view on constructs and related barriers, three research avenues are identified. This study contributes to the development of B2B sharing, an emerging field which is subsumed under the sharing economy but, compared to C2C sharing, under researched and practiced. No study has yet investigated the origins and scope of this ill-defined concept, linked the current knowledge, and focused on the specific implementation barriers as a requirement for further advancing the field