Die unerträgliche Freiheit der Anderen - Studien zum überwertigen Realismus

Der von Adorno eher beiläufig verwendete Begriff des "überwertigen Realismus" wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit aufgegriffen und zu einem Modell weiterentwickelt, das Vorurteile sowie ein statisch-affirmatives Verständnis von Gesellschaft als nur kaum veränderbar erklärt. Überwertiger Realismus als ein eher trotziges Festhalten am So-und-nicht-anders-Sein wird als Bewältigungsstrategie verstanden, die es den Einzelnen ermöglicht, die Anpassung an das gesellschaftlich Geforderte zu meistern. Eine Folge dieser häufig voreiligen („überwertigen“) Identifikation mit dem Bestehenden ist die Abwertung von nonkonformen Lebens- und alternativen politischen Gestaltungsentwürfen. Um das Konzept des überwertigen Realismus empirisch näher zu untersuchen, wurden mehrere Studien (Experiment, Gruppendiskussionen, Telefonbefragungen, Online-Survey) durchgeführt, die für die Plausibilität des Konzepts sprechen

Investigating the use of digital health tools in physiotherapy: facilitators and barriers

Background: Digital tools are becoming more and more common in healthcare. Their potential to improve treatment, monitoring, and coaching in physiotherapy has been recognized. Yet studies report that the adoption of digital health tools in ambulatory physiotherapy is rather low and that their potential is underexploited. Objective: This paper aims to investigate how digital health tools in general, and the mobile health tool physitrackTM (hereafter the app) more particularly, are used in outpatient physiotherapy clinics and also to identify what facilitates or hinders the app’s use. Methods: The paper is part of a larger study and adopts an ethnographic approach. It is based on observational and interview data collected at two outpatient clinics. Results: We reveal how physiotherapists and patients use the app in physiotherapy and identify 16 interdependent factors, on the macro-, meso-, and micro-level, that either facilitate or hinder its use. Conclusions: We argue that a single factor’s facilitating or hindering impact cannot be grasped in isolation but needs to be investigated as one piece of a dynamic interplay. Further qualitative research is required, especially to shed more light on the app’s compatibility with physiotherapy practice and use in therapist-patient interactions

Differential immunomodulatory effects of head and neck cancer-derived exosomes on B cells in the presence of ATP

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive malignancy. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) have immunoregulatory properties. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its immunosuppressive precursor adenosine (ADO) have been found in cancerous tissue. We investigated the effect of TEX on B cells in the presence of ATP. TEX were isolated from human HNSCC cell line (PCI-13) cultures and co-cultured with peripheral blood B cells of healthy donors, with or without TEX in different concentrations and with or without a low (20 µM) or high (2000 µM) ATP dose. We were able to demonstrate that TEX inhibit B-cell proliferation. The addition of TEX to either ATP concentration showed a decreasing trend in CD39 expression on B cells in a dose-dependent manner. High ATP levels (2000 µM) increased apoptosis and necrosis, and analysis of apoptosis-associated proteins revealed dose-dependent effects of ATP, which were modified by TEX. Altogether, TEX exhibited dual immunomodulatory effects on B cells. TEX were immunosuppressive by inhibiting B-cell proliferation; they were immunostimulatory by downregulating CD39 expression. Furthermore, TEX were able to modulate the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. In conclusion, our data indicate that TEX play an important, but complex, role in the tumor microenvironment

Bone marrow changes on STIR MR images of asymptomatic feet and ankles

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, pattern and size of bone marrow changes on short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) magnetic resonance (MR) images of asymptomatic feet and ankles. In 78 asymptomatic volunteers (41 women, 37 men; median age 47years; range 23-83years) sagittal STIR MR images of hindfoot and midfoot were reviewed for various patterns of high signal changes in bone marrow. The size of these bone marrow changes was measured, and signal intensity was rated semi-quantitatively using a scale from 0 (=normal) to 10 (=fluid-like). Fifty percent (39/78) of all volunteers had at least one bone marrow change. Thirty-six percent (28/78) of all volunteers had edema-like changes, 26% (20/78) had necrosis-like changes, and 5% (4/78) had cyst-like changes. The long diameters of all changes varied between 4mm and 16mm (median 7.5mm). The median signal intensity for all changes was 5.0 (range 1-10). Bone marrow changes on STIR MR images are commonly detected in asymptomatic feet and ankles. However, such changes tend to be small (<1cm) or subtl

Evidence for the Existence of Elaborate Enzyme Complexes in the Paleoarchean Era

International audience: Due to the lack of macromolecular fossils, the enzymatic repertoire of extinct species has remained largely unknown to date. In an attempt to solve this problem, we have characterized a cyclase subunit (HisF) of the imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (ImGP-S), which was reconstructed from the era of the last universal common ancestor of cellular organisms (LUCA). As observed for contemporary HisF proteins, the crystal structure of LUCA-HisF adopts the (βα)8-barrel architecture, one of the most ancient folds. Moreover, LUCA-HisF (i) resembles extant HisF proteins with regard to internal 2-fold symmetry, active site residues, and a stabilizing salt bridge cluster, (ii) is thermostable and shows a folding mechanism similar to that of contemporary (βα)8-barrel enzymes, (iii) displays high catalytic activity, and (iv) forms a stable and functional complex with the glutaminase subunit (HisH) of an extant ImGP-S. Furthermore, we show that LUCA-HisF binds to a reconstructed LUCA-HisH protein with high affinity. Our findings suggest that the evolution of highly efficient enzymes and enzyme complexes has already been completed in the LUCA era, which means that sophisticated catalytic concepts such as substrate channeling and allosteric communication existed already 3.5 billion years ago

How do patients, politicians, physiotherapists and other health professionals view physiotherapy research in Switzerland? A qualitative study

Background. Since 2002, the professional education for Swiss physiotherapists has been upgraded to a tertiary educational level. With this change, the need for research related to professional practice has become more salient. The elaboration of research priorities is seen as a possible way to determine the profession’s needs, to help coordinate research collaborations and to address expectations regarding physiotherapy. There is still limited evidence about stakeholders’ views with regard to physiotherapy research. The objective of this study was to investigate key stakeholders’ opinions about research in physiotherapy in Switzerland. Methods. Focus groups with patients, health professionals, researchers and representatives of public health organizations were conducted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with politicians, health insurers and medical doctors from three linguistic regions in Switzerland. An interview guide was elaborated. Data were transcribed and analysed using inductive content analysis (Atlas-ti 6W). Results. Eighteen focus groups and 23 interviews/written commentaries included 134 participants with various research experiences and from different settings. Fourteen categories were defined reflecting three themes: identity, interdisciplinarity and visibility. Stakeholders had positive views about the profession and perceived physiotherapists’ important role now and in the future. Yet, they also felt that physiotherapy was not sufficiently recognized in society and not visible enough. A stronger professional identity would be key to enhancing interdisciplinary work. Conclusions. Results of this qualitative study provide insights into key aspects for moving the physiotherapy profession forward. Identity is at the heart of physiotherapy, not necessarily in terms of research priorities but in the definition of domains of competence and future positioning. Identity is also tightly connected to Interdisciplinarity as this might threaten the existence of the profession. Stakeholders outside the profession insist on the importance of visibility. The results of this study can help stakeholders reflect on the future of physiotherapy and elaborate research priorities. Keywords interdisciplinary; physiotherapy; policy; qualitative research; research prioritie

Colloques interprofessionnels en milieu hospitalier ::rapport final

Comment la collaboration interprofessionnelle est-elle vécue actuellement en contexte stationnaire ? Comment cela influence-t-il l’efficacité et la qualité des soins ? Quelles opportunités et quels défis les colloques interprofessionnels présentent-ils ? Ces trois questions constituent le sujet de recherche principal de ce projet. Les résultats de l’étude permettent de mieux comprendre les processus de groupe lors de colloques interprofessionnels et d’identifier les défis à relever lors de la constitution et de la conduite d’une équipe. Le projet de recherche fournit des résultats pour deux contextes différents dans le domaine des soins (réadaptation et médecine interne) et pour deux régions linguistiques (Suisse alémanique et Suisse romande) ; il permet ainsi de formuler des recommandations pour toute la Suisse. Question de recherche, objectif et démarche méthodologique La principale question de recherche de ce projet est la suivante : comment la collaboration interprofessionnelle en contexte stationnaire s’organise-t-elle actuellement pour améliorer la qualité et l’efficacité des soins ? Où est-il nécessaire d’agir, et qui doit en assumer la responsabilité (principale) ? L’étude visait à mieux comprendre l’impact des différentes manières de faire (pratiques, processus, organisation, etc.) sur l’efficacité et le bon déroulement des colloques interprofessionnels. Il s’agissait d’identifier les défis présentés par leur réalisation, en particulier via l’analyse des structures d’organisation et des pratiques interprofessionnelles. En outre, le projet cherchait à déterminer quels colloques sont perçus comme efficaces, ainsi qu’à lister les défis liés à la formation et à la conduite d’une équipe interprofessionnelle. Deux approches analytiques complémentaires ont été choisies : d’une part, l’enregistrement vidéo de colloques interprofessionnels et l’analyse systématique de leurs conversations ; d’autre part, l’évaluation d’entretiens semi-directifs effectués avec des responsables hiérarchiques et des responsables d’équipe, sur la base des enregistrements vidéo. Le projet de recherche a identifié au total trois facteurs principaux pour l’efficacité des colloques interprofessionnels : (1) les relations interprofessionnelles, (2) les compétences collaboratives et (3) l’organisation des colloques. La formation ciblée à l’organisation de colloques interprofessionnels semble très importante pour les équipes, car elle permet de développer les compétences requises lors de ceux-ci (p. ex. communication efficace, capacité d’adaptation etc.)

Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research in Practice: Lessons from Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research in the Austrian Eisenwurzen

Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) is an inter- and transdisciplinary research field addressing socio-ecological change over time at various spatial and temporal scales. In the Austrian Eisenwurzen region, an LTSER platform was founded in 2004. It has fostered and documented research projects aiming at advancing LTSER scientifically and at providing regional stakeholders with relevant information for sustainable regional development. Since its establishment, a broad range of research activities has been pursued in the region, integrating information from long-term ecological monitoring sites with approaches from social sciences and the humanities, and in cooperation with regional stakeholders. Based on the experiences gained in the Eisenwurzen LTSER platform, this article presents current activities in the heterogeneous field of LTSER, identifying specific (inter-)disciplinary contributions of three research strands of LTSER: long-term ecological research, socio-ecological basic research, and transdisciplinary research. Given the broad array of diverse contributions to LTSER, we argue that the platform has become a relevant "boundary organization", linking research to its regional non-academic context, and ensuring interdisciplinary exchange among the variety of disciplines. We consider the diversity of LTSER approaches an important resource for future research. Major success criteria of LTSER face specific challenges: (1) existing loose, yet stable networks need to be maintained and extended; (2) continuous generation of and access to relevant data needs to be secured and more data need to be included; and (3) consecutive research projects that have allowed for capacity building in the past may be threatened in the future if national Austrian research funders cease to provide resources

Novel Organism Verification and Analysis (NOVA) study: identification of 35 clinical isolates representing potentially novel bacterial taxa using a pipeline based on whole genome sequencing

BACKGROUND Reliable species identification of cultured isolates is essential in clinical bacteriology. We established a new study algorithm named NOVA - Novel Organism Verification and Analysis to systematically analyze bacterial isolates that cannot be characterized by conventional identification procedures MALDI-TOF MS and partial 16 S rRNA gene sequencing using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). RESULTS We identified a total of 35 bacterial strains that represent potentially novel species. Corynebacterium sp. (n = 6) and Schaalia sp. (n = 5) were the predominant genera. Two strains each were identified within the genera Anaerococcus, Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, and Peptoniphilus, and one new species was detected within Citrobacter, Dermabacter, Helcococcus, Lancefieldella, Neisseria, Ochrobactrum (Brucella), Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Porphyromonas, Pseudoclavibacter, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Pusillimonas, Rothia, Sneathia, and Tessaracoccus. Twenty-seven of 35 strains were isolated from deep tissue specimens or blood cultures. Seven out of 35 isolated strains identified were clinically relevant. In addition, 26 bacterial strains that could only be identified at the species level using WGS analysis, were mainly organisms that have been identified/classified very recently. CONCLUSION Our new algorithm proved to be a powerful tool for detection and identification of novel bacterial organisms. Publicly available clinical and genomic data may help to better understand their clinical and ecological role. Our identification of 35 novel strains, 7 of which appear to be clinically relevant, shows the wide range of undescribed pathogens yet to define

Impact of Age and Body Site on Adult Female Skin Surface pH

Background: pH is known as an important parameter in epidermal barrier function and homeostasis. Aim: The impact of age and body site on skin surface pH (pH(SS)) of women was evaluated in vivo. Methods: Time domain dual lifetime referencing with luminescent sensor foils was used for pH(SS) measurements. pH(SS) was measured on the forehead, the temple, and the volar forearm of adult females (n = 97, 52.87 +/- 18.58 years, 20-97 years). Every single measurement contained 2,500 pH values due to the luminescence imaging technique used. Results: pH(SS) slightly increases with age on all three investigated body sites. There are no significant differences in pH(SS) between the three investigated body sites. Conclusion: Adult pH(SS) on the forehead, the temple and the volar forearm increases slightly with age. This knowledge is crucial for adapting medical skin care products. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base