Alevi Cultural Heritage in Turkey and Germany: Negotiating “Useable Pasts” in Transnational Space

The accelerating references to Cultural Heritage in politics and scholarship have impacted on ‘vernacular’ or migrant communities’ aspirations for the recognition of their distinct identities and have likewise influenced nation-states’ policies on cultural diversity. Thus Alevi communities in Turkey and Germany have used the institutions and language provided by intergovernmental actors to claim recognition of their Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2010, the Alevi-Bektaşi ritual dance, semah, was inscribed onto Turkey’s National Inventory for Intangible Cultural Heritage. However, Alevis in Germany, also drawing on the semah as their “useable past”, recently initiated their own heritage project. This paper analyses the various functions and uses of heritage discourse in the context of its exercise by both state and non-state actors in Germany and Turkey. It will be argued that a critical investigation must question the empowering and disciplining aspects of the governmentalities of Cultural Heritage because, as demonstrated by the Turkish case, recognition of (Alevi) heritage does not necessarily translate into legal recognition

Governmentalities of Alevi Cultural Heritage: On Recognition, Surveillance and "Domesticated Diversity" in Contemporary Turkey

Although the term Cultural Heritage carries a rather positive connotation—bringing together notions such as safe-guarding and human creativity—critical investigations have underlined the various strategic, economic and political rationalities inscribed in this term.In 2010 UNESCO categorized the Alevi ritual sequence, semah, as Intangible Cultural Heritage and as such it was inscribed in the Turkish National Inventory for Intangible Cultural Heritage, although Alevis are oftentimes marginalized by the Turkish state due to its Sunni-Turkist conception of belonging. The celebration of an Alevi ritual as enriching Turkey's "cultural diversity" thus necessitated an analytical approach that comes to terms with the tension between this formal recognition, ongoing political surveillance, and the very specific notions of diversity that have been put into play. With reference to Foucault's (as well as Rose's) analysis of contemporary government as "governmentality", Cultural Heritage can be grasped in its ambivalent (but not necessarily conflicting) form of governmental liberation and control. The paper thus enlarges the analytical scale of thinking about Cultural Heritage in its correlation with identity-formation, as well as the politics of recognition and governance

Logos and Pallaksch. The Loss of Madness and the Survival of Poetry in Paul Celan's “ TÜbingen, JÄnner ”

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71988/1/j.1600-0730.1999.tb00286.x.pd

Zusammenfassende Ergebnisse zum EXIST-III Projekt an der BTU Cottbus: Teilprojekt Gründervilla

Aus dem Spektrum des breit und interdisziplinär angelegten EXIST-III Projektes Entwicklung einer Gründungs- und Teamkompetenzwerkstatt (GTW) an der BTU Cottbus werden im vorliegenden Working Paper drei spezielle Tätigkeitsschwerpunkte vorge-stellt. Dieses sind der Tätigkeitsbereich der extra-curricularen Qualifizierung, der Grün-dungsbegleitung (Infrastruktur, Beratung in Vorgründungsphase) und des Sammelns und Aufbereitens von Gründungsideen. Herangehensweisen, Schritte und Ergebnisse werden im Folgenden zusammenfassend beschrieben. Somit stellt das vorliegende Working Paper eine vertiefende Ergänzung zum Abschlussbericht des Gesamtprojektes dar. --EXIST-III,(Vor-)Gründung,Qualifizierung,Beratung,Geschäftsideen

Alevi Cultural Heritage in Turkey and Germany: Negotiating “Useable Pasts” in Transnational Space

The accelerating references to Cultural Heritage in politics and scholarship have impacted on ‘vernacular’ or migrant communities’ aspirations for the recognition of their distinct identities and have likewise influenced nation-states’ policies on cultural diversity. Thus Alevi communities in Turkey and Germany have used the institutions and language provided by intergovernmental actors to claim recognition of their Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2010, the Alevi-Bektaşi ritual dance, semah, was inscribed onto Turkey’s National Inventory for Intangible Cultural Heritage. However, Alevis in Germany, also drawing on the semah as their “useable past”, recently initiated their own heritage project. This paper analyses the various functions and uses of heritage discourse in the context of its exercise by both state and non-state actors in Germany and Turkey. It will be argued that a critical investigation must question the empowering and disciplining aspects of the governmentalities of Cultural Heritage because, as demonstrated by the Turkish case, recognition of (Alevi) heritage does not necessarily translate into legal recognition

Neural synchronization is strongest to the spectral flux of slow music and depends on familiarity and beat salience

Neural activity in the auditory system synchronizes to sound rhythms, and brain–environment synchronization is thought to be fundamental to successful auditory perception. Sound rhythms are often operationalized in terms of the sound’s amplitude envelope. We hypothesized that – especially for music – the envelope might not best capture the complex spectro-temporal fluctuations that give rise to beat perception and synchronized neural activity. This study investigated (1) neural synchronization to different musical features, (2) tempo-dependence of neural synchronization, and (3) dependence of synchronization on familiarity, enjoyment, and ease of beat perception. In this electroencephalography study, 37 human participants listened to tempo-modulated music (1–4 Hz). Independent of whether the analysis approach was based on temporal response functions (TRFs) or reliable components analysis (RCA), the spectral flux of music – as opposed to the amplitude envelope – evoked strongest neural synchronization. Moreover, music with slower beat rates, high familiarity, and easy-to-perceive beats elicited the strongest neural response. Our results demonstrate the importance of spectro-temporal fluctuations in music for driving neural synchronization, and highlight its sensitivity to musical tempo, familiarity, and beat salience

Epidemiologische, klinische, laborchemische und bildgebende Differenzierung der Osteitis condensans ilii und der axialen Spondyloarthritis

Die Diagnostik und Therapie axialer Spondyloarthritiden (ax-SpA) ist zunehmend auf frühe Krankheitsstadien ausgerichtet, um schwerwiegende Verläufe mit irreversiblen Funktionseinschränkungen zu verhindern. Seit der Einführung der ASAS-Klassifikationskriterien 2009 ist die nicht-röntgenologische ax-SpA neben der Spondylitis ankylosans als Entität einer ax-SpA definiert. Die Diagnostik erfolgt insbesondere mittels Erhebung der sogenannten Spondyloarthritis-Parameter, welche klinische und laborchemische Merkmale enthalten, sowie Röntgen- und MRT-Bildgebung. Um eine nebenwirkungsbehaftete und kostenintensive Fehltherapie mit NSAIDs und TNF-α- Inhibitoren zu vermeiden, ist eine scharfe Abgrenzung zu Differentialdiagnosen erforderlich. Eine bisher wenig untersuchte Differentialdiagnose ist die Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI). Hierbei handelt es sich um eine häufig nach Schwangerschaft auftretende, typischerweise dreiecksförmige Sklerose der sakroiliakalgelenksnahen Anteile des Os ilium. ZIEL: Ziel dieser retrospektiven Querschnittstudie war es, epidemiologische, klinische, laborchemische und bildgebende Unterschiede zwischen OCI- und ax-SpA- Patient*innen darzustellen. METHODIK: Hierzu wurden 60 Patient*innen mit symptomatischer OCI mit 120 ax-SpAPatient*innen „gematcht“ und zum Vergleich epidemiologischer, klinischer und laborchemischer Merkmale gegenübergestellt. Außerdem wurden 27 Patient*innen mit OCI und ax-SpA „gematcht“ und zum Vergleich bildgebender Merkmale in MRTAufnahmen der SIG gegenübergestellt. Die Parallelisierung (engl. „matching“) erfolgte nach Symptomdauer. Vorhandene T1- und STIR-gewichtete MRT-Serien der SIG wurden von drei erfahrenen Untersuchern nach der „Berlin Scoring“ Methode verblindet ausgewertet und die Lokalisation der entdeckten Läsionen eingeschätzt. ERGEBNISSE: Die untersuchten OCI- und ax-SpA-Gruppen unterschieden sich dabei in Geschlecht (96,7% weiblich vs. 41,7% weiblich), entzündlichem Rückenschmerz (39,5% vs. 92,3%), Uveitis (0% vs. 11,7%), HLA-B27-Status (35,2% vs. 84,2%) und CrP (7,1% positiv vs. 41,3% positiv) mit statistischer Signifikanz. OCI-Patient*innen zeigten nur in Einzelfällen geringradige Erosionen und keine Ankylosen. Sie präsentierten Knochenmarködem (96,0%), Sklerose (95,7%) und Verfettung (100%) in der MRT-Bildgebung nahezu vollständig im ventralen Gelenkanteil, während die Läsionen bei ax-SpA eher im mittleren Anteil lokalisiert waren. Diese Untschiede waren ebenfalls statistisch signifikant. SCHLUSSFOLGERUNG: In einigen SpA-Parametern zeigte das untersuchte OCIKollektiv keine Unterschiede zur ax-SpA Vergleichsgruppe und präsentierte Knochenmarksödem, Verfettung und Sklerose in der MRT, sodass die OCI eine klinische wie auch bildgebende Differentialdiagnose zur ax-SpA darstellt. Auf der anderen Seite könnten die in dieser Studie gezeigten epidemiologischen, klinischen, laborchemischen und bildgebenden Unterschiede diese Differentialdiagnose zwischen OCI und ax-SpA erleichtern.The diagnostic and therapeutic approach to axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) increasingly focuses on early stages of disease to prevent the development of irreversible loss of function. In the ASAS classification criteria introduced in 2009 non-radiografic axial spondyloarthritis is listed alongside ankylosing spondylitis. Validated diagnostic criteria have yet to be established. Diagnosis of ax-SpA involves the evaluation of certain spondolyarthritis parameters, which include clinical and laboratory features. Furthermore, x-ray and MRI imaging are taken into account. Precise distinction between ax-SpA and its differential diagnoses is crucial to prevent malpractice with NSAIDs and TNF- α inhibitors. One differential diagnosis is Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI), a condition often occurring after pregnancy and typically presenting as a triangular sclerosis of the iliac portion of the sacroiliac joint. OCI is, however, still in need of extensive scientific research. AIM: In this retrospective cross-sectional study demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiographic differences between OCI and ax-SpA were investigated. METHODS: 60 patients with symptomatic OCI were matched by symptom-duration with 120 ax-SpA patients to compare demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters. Furthermore, MRI scans of the SI-joints of 27 OCI and 27 matched ax-SpA patients were compared. Therefore previously obtained T1- and STIR- weighted images were evaluated for localization of lesions and the “Berlin Scoring Method” by three experienced blinded investigators. RESULTS: OCI and ax-SpA groups differed significantly in sex (96.7% female vs. 41.7% female), inflammatory back pain (39.5% vs. 92.3%), uveitis (0% vs. 11.7%), HLA-B27 status (35.2% vs. 84.2%) and CRP (7.1% positive vs. 41.3% positive). Only isolated OCI patients presented erosions, none presented ankyloses. They showed bone marrow edema (96.0%), sclerosis (95.7%) and fatty lesions (100%) almost entirely in the ventral part of the joint, which significantly differed from rather in the mid part located lesions in the ax-SpA group. CONCLUSION: OCI is a differential diagnosis to ax-SpA regarding clinical and imaging features. The presented differences could help to distinguish between OCI- and ax-SpA- patients

Hyperpolarization by Activation of Halorhodopsin Results in Enhanced Synaptic Transmission: Neuromuscular Junction and CNS Circuit

Optogenetics offers a unique method to regulate the activity of select neural circuits. However, the electrophysiological consequences of targeted optogenetic manipulation upon the entire circuit remain poorly understood. Analysis of the sensory-CNS-motor circuit in Drosophila larvae expressing eHpHR and ChR2-XXL revealed unexpected patterns of excitability. Optical stimulation of motor neurons targeted to express eNpHR resulted in inhibition followed by excitation of body wall contraction with repetitive stimulation in intact larvae. In situ preparations with direct electrophysiological measures showed an increased responsiveness to excitatory synaptic activity induced by sensory stimulation within a functional neural circuit. To ensure proper function of eNpHR and ChR2-XXL they were expressed in body wall muscle and direct electrophysiological measurements were obtained. Under eNpHR induced hyperpolarization the muscle remained excitable with increased amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic synaptic potentials. Theoretical models to explain the observations are presented. This study aids in increasing the understanding of the varied possible influences with light activated proteins within intact neural circuits