Bildungssysteme und Lebensverlauf in vergleichender Perspektive

"In unserem Beitrag untersuchen wir Lebensverläufe - insbesondere Berufskarrieren - in Großbritannien, Deutschland und Schweden. In Großbritannien, einem liberalen Wohlfahrtsstaat mit stratifizierter Schulbildung und unstandardisierter Berufsausbildung, finden wir instabile Berufskarrieren, die durch viele Jobwechsel bei relativ geringer Mobilität zwischen den Klassen gekennzeichnet sind. In Deutschland - einem konservativen Wohlfahrtsstaat mit stratifiziertem Schul- und standardisiertem Ausbildungssystem dominiert das Muster stabiler, aber 'gebundener' Karrieren. Schweden läßt sich in der Tradition des sozialdemokratischen Wohlfahrtsstaates - geprägt von einem unstratifizierten Schulsystem und unstandardisierter Berufsausbildung - durch Berufsverläufe beschreiben, die Klassenbarrieren überwinden. Wie verändern sich diese durch nationale Institutionen unterschiedlich integrierten Modelle von Mobilität und Lebensverlauf angesichts der europäischen Einigung und wirtschaftlicher 'Globalisierung'? Kommt es zu konvergenten oder divergenten Entwicklungen? Wir beschreiben vier Typen der Konvergenz und Divergenz von Lebensverläufen: Pfadabhängigkeit, kollektive oder individuelle Dualisierung und eine neue Synthese - den 'social investment state' (John Myles). Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, daß Divergenz und Konvergenz nicht angemessen erfaßt werden können, ohne das breitere institutionelle 'setting' einer Gesellschaft zu berücksichtigen." (Autorenreferat

Effect of temporal resolution on calcium scoring: insights from photon-counting detector CT

To intra-individually investigate the variation of coronary artery calcium (CAC), aortic valve calcium (AVC), and mitral annular calcium (MAC) scores and the presence of blur artifacts as a function of temporal resolution in patients undergoing non-contrast cardiac CT on a dual-source photon counting detector (PCD) CT. This retrospective, IRB-approved study included 70 patients (30 women, 40 men, mean age 78 ± 9 years) who underwent ECG-gated cardiac non-contrast CT with PCD-CT (gantry rotation time 0.25 s) prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Each scan was reconstructed at a temporal resolution of 66 ms using the dual-source information and at 125 ms using the single-source information. Average heart rate and heart rate variability were calculated from the recorded ECG. CAC, AVC, and MAC were quantified according to the Agatston method on images with both temporal resolutions. Two readers assessed blur artifacts using a 4-point visual grading scale. The influence of average heart rate and heart rate variability on calcium quantification and blur artifacts of the respective structures were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Mean heart rate and heart rate variability during data acquisition were 76 ± 17 beats per minute (bpm) and 4 ± 6 bpm, respectively. CAC scores were smaller on 66 ms (median, 511; interquartile range, 220-978) than on 125 ms reconstructions (538; 203-1050, p < 0.001). Median AVC scores [2809 (2009-3952) versus 3177 (2158-4273)] and median MAC scores [226 (0-1284) versus 251 (0-1574)] were also significantly smaller on 66ms than on 125ms reconstructions (p < 0.001). Reclassification of CAC and AVC risk categories occurred in 4% and 11% of cases, respectively, whereby the risk category was always overestimated on 125ms reconstructions. Image blur artifacts were significantly less on 66ms as opposed to 125 ms reconstructions (p < 0.001). Intra-individual analyses indicate that temporal resolution significantly impacts on calcium scoring with cardiac CT, with CAC, MAC, and AVC being overestimated at lower temporal resolution because of increased motion artifacts eventually leading to an overestimation of patient risk

Programmed (In-)Equality? Gender-specific Funding of Research Grant Proposals

Im Mittelpunkt des Beitrags steht die Drittmittelförderung. Für das Fach Soziologie wird die Antragstellung von Forschungsprojekten und deren Evaluation durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) untersucht. Datengrundlage sind dabei prozessproduzierte Angaben zu 761 Forschungsanträgen an die DFG im Zeitraum 1993-1999. Das Antragsverhalten unterscheidet sich nicht nach Geschlecht, die Bewilligungschancen sind bei Anträgen von Frauen schlechter als bei Männern. Diese Ungleichheit geht nur zu einem kleinen Teil auf individuelle, strukturelle und kontextuelle Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen zurück. Der Abstand in den Bewilligungschancen von Männern und Frauen wird zu einem größeren Teil durch die geschlechtsspezifische Konzentration auf Forschungsinhalte erklärt: Die Hälfte aller von Frauen gestellten Anträge kann der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung zugeordnet werden. Die Einrichtung des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 'Professionalisierung, Organisation, Geschlecht' ist die untersuchte Thematik bedeutsam. In dem untersuchten Zeitraum führt der Schwerpunkt zu geringeren Bewilligungsquoten in der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung. Dies ist eine programmierte, wenngleich unintendierte und sicherlich vermeidbare Nebenfolge. Gleichermaßen kommt es aber auch zu einer programmierten Gleichheit, insofern der Unterschied in den Bewilligungschancen zwischen Frauen und Männern durch den Schwerpunkt verringert wurde.This article focuses on research grants funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), i.e. the German National Science Foundation. It analyzes research grant applications in the field of sociology and their evaluations and is based on process-produced data on 761 grant applications submitted to the DFG from 1993 to 1999. While application conduct does not differ by gender, women have a smaller chance of receiving funding than men. This inequality results partly from individual, structural and contextual differences between men and women. The differences in opportunities between men and women are, to a large extent, explained by the gender-specific focus of the research proposals: Half of the applications submitted by women can be categorized as gender-oriented research. The establishment of the DFG-research area "Professionalization, Organization, Gender" is of major importance for the topic under investigation. In the years analyzed, significantly fewer grant proposals in the area of gender and women's research were funded. This is a programmed, although unintentional and definitely avoidable side effect. At the same time, there is programmed equality, in as much as this research area has reduced the differences in the funding opportunities between women and men

Phylloxanthobilins are Abundant Linear Tetrapyrroles from Chlorophyll Breakdown with Activities Against Cancer Cells

The major chlorophyll catabolites are colorless phyllobilins with four deconjugated pyrrole units. Their yellow oxidation products, are getting more and more in the spotlight due to their interesting physicochemical properties and potential bioactivities. Although studies on physiologically relevant activities of phyllobilins are in early stages, it already becomes evident that when it comes to bioactivities, yellow beats colorless

Performance of turbo high-pitch dual-source CT for coronary CT angiography: first ex vivo and patient experience

Objectives: To evaluate image quality, maximal heart rate allowing for diagnostic imaging, and radiation dose of turbo high-pitch dual-source coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). Methods: First, a cardiac motion phantom simulating heart rates (HRs) from 60-90bpm in 5-bpm steps was examined on a third-generation dual-source 192-slice CT (prospective ECG-triggering, pitch 3.2; rotation time, 250ms). Subjective image quality regarding the presence of motion artefacts was interpreted by two readers on a four-point scale (1, excellent; 4, non-diagnostic). Objective image quality was assessed by calculating distortion vectors. Thereafter, 20 consecutive patients (median, 50years) undergoing clinically indicated CCTA were included. Results: In the phantom study, image quality was rated diagnostic up to the HR75 bpm, with object distortion being 1mm or less. Distortion increased above 1mm at HR of 80-90bpm. Patients had a mean HR of 66bpm (47-78bpm). Coronary segments were of diagnostic image quality for all patients with HR up to 73bpm. Average effective radiation dose in patients was 0.6 ± 0.3mSv. Conclusions: Our combined phantom and patient study indicates that CCTA with turbo high-pitch third-generation dual-source 192-slice CT can be performed at HR up to 75bpm while maintaining diagnostic image quality, being associated with an average radiation dose of 0.6mSv. Key points : • CCTA is feasible with the turbo high-pitch mode. • Turbo high-pitch CCTA provides diagnostic image quality up to 73bpm. • The radiation dose of high-pitch CCTA is 0.6mSv on average

Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part I—an examination of cancellous bone architecture in the hindlimb bones of theropods

This paper is the first of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous (‘spongy’) bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian species. Cancellous bone is widely known to be highly sensitive to its mechanical environment, and has previously been used to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates, especially primates. Despite great promise, cancellous bone architecture has remained little utilized for investigating locomotion in many other extinct vertebrate groups, such as dinosaurs. Documentation and quantification of architectural patterns across a whole bone, and across multiple bones, can provide much information on cancellous bone architectural patterns and variation across species. Additionally, this also lends itself to analysis of the musculoskeletal biomechanical factors involved in a direct, mechanistic fashion. On this premise, computed tomographic and image analysis techniques were used to describe and analyse the three-dimensional architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs for the first time. A comprehensive survey across many extant and extinct species is produced, identifying several patterns of similarity and contrast between groups. For instance, more stemward non-avian theropods (e.g. ceratosaurs and tyrannosaurids) exhibit cancellous bone architectures more comparable to that present in humans, whereas species more closely related to birds (e.g. paravians) exhibit architectural patterns bearing greater similarity to those of extant birds. Many of the observed patterns may be linked to particular aspects of locomotor biomechanics, such as the degree of hip or knee flexion during stance and gait. A further important observation is the abundance of markedly oblique trabeculae in the diaphyses of the femur and tibia of birds, which in large species produces spiralling patterns along the endosteal surface. Not only do these observations provide new insight into theropod anatomy and behaviour, they also provide the foundation for mechanistic testing of locomotor hypotheses via musculoskeletal biomechanical modelling

Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2

A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 48 pb^{-1} at an e^+e^- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV and about 20 pb^{-1} equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172 GeV and 161 GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95% confidence level mass limits in the region between 70 GeV/c^2 and 90 GeV/c^2, depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited fermio

Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV

An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Search for lightest neutralino and stau pair production in light gravitino scenarios with stau NLSP

Promptly decaying lightest neutralinos and long-lived staus are searched for in the context of light gravitino scenarios. It is assumed that the stau is the next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and that the lightest neutralino is the next to NLSP (NNLSP). Data collected with the Delphi detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 183 \GeV are analysed. No evidence of the production of these particles is found. Hence, lower mass limits for both kinds of particles are set at 95% C.L.. The mass of gaugino-like neutralinos is found to be greater than 71.5 GeV/c^2. In the search for long-lived stau, masses less than 70.0 to 77.5 \GeVcc are excluded for gravitino masses from 10 to 150 \eVcc . Combining this search with the searches for stable heavy leptons and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model staus a lower limit of 68.5 \GeVcc may be set for the stau mas