Können wir uns dazu entscheiden, etwas zu glauben?

In this essay the author argues that, in a restricted sense, we can decide to believe certain propositions. It is conceded that acquiring a belief is not a basic action and possibly not even an action at all. However, this does not entail the impossibility of decisions to believe since not everything we can decide to do is a basic action. In fact, we can often decide to be in a certain state of affairs. Although beliefs normally aim at truth, there are cases in which we can voluntarily seek or avoid irrational states of affairs and thereby influence our attitudes. Bearing this in mind, situations in which we can talk of decisions to belief can be construed easily

The Effect of Nocturnal Noise Levels in Upper Midwestern Longterm Care Facilities on Sleep Interference in Selected Residents\u27 Well-being

The objectives of this study were: 1. To determine noise levels in selected upper Midwestern longterm care facilities at night during August and September. 2. To determine to what extent noise levels interfered with residents\u27 nocturnal sleep. 3. To determine to what extent sleep interference affected residents\u27 well-being. 4. To determine to what extent noise levels interfered with residents\u27 well-being

Induced Remodeling of Porcine Tendons to Human Anterior Cruciate Ligaments by alpha-GAL Epitope Removal and Partial Cross-Linking

This review describes a novel method developed for processing porcine tendon and other ligament implants that enables in situ remodeling into autologous ligaments in humans. The method differs from methods using extracellular matrices (ECMs) that provide postoperative orthobiological support (i.e., augmentation grafts) for healing of injured ligaments, in that the porcine bone-patellar-tendon-bone itself serves as the graft replacing ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The method allows for gradual remodeling of porcine tendon into autologous human ACL while maintaining the biomechanical integrity. The method was first evaluated in a preclinical model of monkeys and subsequently in patients. The method overcomes detrimental effects of the natural anti-Gal antibody and harnesses anti-non-gal antibodies for the remodeling process in two steps: Step 1. Elimination of alpha-gal epitopes-this epitope that is abundant in pigs (as in other nonprimate mammals) binds the natural anti-Gal antibody, which is the most abundant natural antibody in humans. This interaction, which can induce fast resorption of the porcine implant, is avoided by enzymatic elimination of alpha-gal epitopes from the implant with recombinant alpha-galactosidase. Step 2. Partial cross-linking of porcine tendon with glutaraldehyde-this cross-linking generates covalent bonds in the ECM, which slow infiltration of macrophages into the implant. Anti-non-gal antibodies are produced in recipients against the multiple porcine antigenic proteins and proteoglycans because of sequence differences between human and porcine homologous proteins. Anti-non-gal antibodies bind to the implant ECM, recruit macrophages, and induce the implant destruction by directing proteolytic activity of macrophages. Partial cross-linking of the tendon ECM decreases the extent of macrophage infiltration and degradation of the implant and enables concomitant infiltration of fibroblasts that follow the infiltrating macrophages. These fibroblasts align with the implant collagen fibers and secrete their own collagen and other ECM proteins, which gradually remodel the porcine tendon into human ACL. This ligamentization process lasts approximately 2 years and the biomechanical integrity of the graft is maintained throughout the whole period. These studies are the first, and so far the only, to demonstrate remodeling of porcine tendon implants into permanently functional autologous ACL in humans

Weiße Identität und Geschlecht

"Unter dem Label Whiteness Studies entwickelt sich seit den 1990ger Jahren im angloamerikanischen Sprachraum ein Perspektivenwechsel in der Analyse sozialer undkultureller Ungleichheiten. Das Erkenntnisinteresse gilt hier weniger der Konstruktion des Anderen als der analytischen Dekonstruktion der Norm. Ruth Frankenberg (1993) kam bei Ihrer Untersuchung über Weiße Identität und Kultur in den USA bspw. zu dem Ergebnis, dass es Weißen Personen beinahe unmöglich ist, über ihr 'Weißsein' Auskunft zu geben. Frankenberg bescheinigte der Kategorie Whiteness folglich eine 'strukturelle Unsichtbarkeit'. Gleichzeitig rekurierten ihre Interviewpartnerinnen allerdings auf eine Weiße Kultur als normative Autorität, indem sie die eigenen kulturelle Praktiken als 'regulär' markierten und die der Anderen als 'deviant'. In dem Vortrag der Bearbeiterin wird der internationale Forschungsstand zum Thema Weiße Identität und Geschlecht zusammengefasst. Darüber hinaus wird die angloamerikanische Debatte über Whiteness Studies auf den deutschen Kontext übertragen. Anhand der deutschen Kolonialgeschichte wird aufgezeigt, in welcher Form deutsche Frauen ander Produktion kultureller Differenzen bzw. Weißer Identität beteiligt waren und wie die Geschlechterverhältnisse sich mit Formen Weißer Dominanz in den Kolonien verbanden. Dabei werden die Interdependenzen der sozialen Kategorien Geschlecht, Ethnizität und Klasse anhand einer konkreten historischen Situation herausgearbeitet. Der Vortrag greift demnach die Frage nach den 'Grenzen der Gleichheit' historischauf und offeriert damit eine Grundlage für die Analyse gegenwärtiger Ungleichheiten und kultureller Unterschiede." (Autorenreferat

Service productivity:what stops service firms from measuring it?

Productivity measurement poses a challenge for service organizations. Conventional management wisdom holds that this challenge is rooted in the difficulty of accurately quantifying service inputs and outputs. Few service firms have adequate service productivity measurement (SPM) systems in place and implementing such systems may involve organizational transformation. Combining field interviews and literature-based insights, the authors develop a conceptual model of antecedents of SPM in service firms and test it using data from 276 service firms. Results indicate that one out of five antecedents affects the choice to use SPM, namely, the degree of service standardization. In addition, all five hypothesized antecedents and one additional antecedent (perceived appropriateness of the current SPM) predict the degree of SPM usage. In particular, the degree of SPM is positively influenced by the degree of service standardization, service customization, investments in service productivity gains, and the appropriateness of current service productivity measures. In turn, customer integration and the perceived difficulty of measuring service productivity negatively affect SPM. The fact that customer integration impedes actual measurement of service productivity is a surprising finding, given that customer integration is widely seen as a means to increase service productivity. The authors conclude with implications for service organizations and directions for research

Zwischen Showbusiness und Galeere: zum Einsatz der DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen in Unternehmen

"Zunehmend mehr Unternehmen können ein Zertifikat vorweisen, das bestätigt, dass ihr Qualitätsmanagementsystem den Forderungen der DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen genügt. Die Normen allerdings stehen in der Kritik; ihre Wirkung im Hinblick auf eine Verbesserung der Effizienz wird massiv bezweifelt. Der wesentliche Grund für ihre Verbreitung scheint zu sein, dass die Kunden ein zertifiziertes Qualitätsmanagementsystem verlangen. Vor diesem Hintergrund drängt sich eine Untersuchung des Phänomens "ISO 9000" aus der Perspektive des Neo-Instutionalistischen Ansatzes auf. Im Neo- Institutionalistischen Ansatz wird die Ausgestaltung der formalen Struktur weniger als Ergebnis eines Bemühens um Effizienz, sondern vielmehr als Anpassung an Erwartungen in der Umwelt der Organisation interpretiert. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse einer empirischen Studie über die Gründe des Erwerbs eines ISO 9000- Zertifikats und über die Auswirkungen der Umsetzung der Normenforderungen auf die formale Struktur und die Arbeitsprozesse von Unternehmen präsentiert. Wichtige Ergebnisse sind, dass die Realisierung der Normenforderungen in den meisten Unternehmen einerseits - wie von der Neo-Institutionalistischen Theorie vorausgesagt - den Aufbau einer Legitimationsfassade zur Folge hatte, dass aber andererseits im Verlaufe der Umsetzung die in einem Qualitätsmanagementsystem nach den DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen steckenden Potentiale für den Aufbau eines Kontrollsystems entdeckt und genutzt wurden." (Autorenreferat)"The number of organizations which are able to boast a certificate confirming that the company's quality system fulfills the requirements of the ISO 9000 standards is continuously growing. However, the standards are under fire from all sides. The efficiency of the standards is often questioned. The main reason why the standards are spreading seems to be that quality systems based on ISO 9000 are demanded by customers. Thus, the neo-institutional approach in organization theory appears to be most suited for the study of the adoption of the ISO 9000 standards. Neo-institutionalists argue that the formal structure is less a result of an endeavor to improve the efficiency of the organization, than a result of adapting the formal structure to expectations in the organization's environment . This article presents the findings of an empirical study of the reasons of the adoption of ISO 9000 standards and of the effects the implementation of a quality system based on the standards has on the formal structure and the work-processes of companies. Important results are that the implementation of the standards leads, as predicted by neo-institutional theory, to the development of facades intended to legitimize the organization in its environment. However, in the process of implementing the standards the organizations discovered and made use of their potential as a system of technocratic control." (author's abstract

Jugend und demographischer Wandel - sozialisationsrelevante Prozesse und Prognosen

"Niedrige Geburtenraten und steigende Lebenserwartungen führen zu Prognosen eines demographischen Wandels, der sich bereits 2010 abzeichnet und in den Jahren 2020-2060 zuspitzen wird. Welche Konsequenzen dieser demographische Wandel für Jugendliche haben könnte ist weitgehend ein Forschungsdesiderat. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert die möglichen Folgen demographischer Entwicklungen für die Sozialisationsprozesse und Lebenslagen von Jugendlichen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt wird dabei auf die Sozialisationskontexte Familie und Schule gelegt sowie auf die Herausarbeitung möglicher Chancen, die der demographische Wandel für Jugendliche mit sich bringt." (Autorenreferat)"Low fertility rates and an increasing life expectancy induce projections of a demographic change that emerged in 2010 and it is estimated that these changes will become more acute in the decades 2020-2060. The impact of this demographic change on adolescents is to a large extent an underresearched area. This article outlines possible consequences of some demographic trends on the socialization process and living conditions for adolescents in Germany. In particular, socialization contexts such as the family and school are investigated as well as possible opportunities of demographic developments for adolescents." (author's abstract

Emergence Patterns of Delia radicum (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) Populations from North Carolina and New York

Cabbage maggot, Delia radicum (L.), populations from North Carolina (Fletcher and Scaly Mountain) and New York (Geneva and Highland) were surveyed to detect differences in the emergence pattern of flies from overwintered pupae. Populations from all locations consisted of different proportions of early- and later-emerging individuals. However, populations from New York consisted predominately of early-emerging individuals (≥90%), whereas populations from North Carolina were composed of a higher percentage of later-emerging individuals. Emergence patterns of F1 progeny from crosses between early- and later-emerging flies from Scaly Mountain demonstrated that emergence traits were genetically controlled. D. radicum phenology studies in North Carolina suggested that temporal isolation of the two types was halted by an extended period of aestivation during the summer months, which subsequently allowed the two populations to interbreed during the autumn months. The relative proportion of early:late emergers appears to be unstable over time, which may be due to differential mortality factors operating when populations are temporally isolated or due to dominance or recessive factors governing earliness or lateness, or bot