Educational poverty in a comparative perspective: theoretical and empirical implications

Lohmann H, Ferger F. Educational poverty in a comparative perspective: theoretical and empirical implications. SFB 882 Working Paper Series. Vol 26. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2014

Bildungsarmut als soziales Problem

Ferger F. Bildungsarmut als soziales Problem. SFB 882 Working Paper Series. Vol 49. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2015.Von Bildungsarmut zu sprechen bedeutet, eine sozialpolitische Perspektive auf Bildung einzunehmen. Vertreter des Konzeptes argumentieren, dass Bildungsarmut gesellschaftliche Teilhabe verhindere und daher – wie materielle Armut auch – sozialpolitisch zu bekämpfen sei. In dem Beitrag wird der Begriff der Bildungsarmut in der breiteren Diskussion um die sozialpolitische Funktion von Bildung verortet. Es werden mögliche sozialpolitische Konzeptionalisierungen diskutiert und auf offene Fragen und Schwächen des Ansatzes hingewiesen. Abschließend werden Chancen und Risiken des Bildungsarmuts-Begriffes diskutiert

Tetracationic bis-triarylborane 1, 3-butadiyne as a combined fluorimetric and Raman probe for simultaneous and selective sensing of various DNA, RNA and proteins

A new bis-triarylborane tetracation (4-Ar2B-3, 5-Me2C6H2)-C≡C- C≡C-(3, 5-Me2C6H2-4-BAr2 [Ar = (2, 6-Me2-4-NMe3-C6H2)+] (24+) shows distinctly different behaviour in its fluorimetric response than that of our recently published bis-triarylborane 5- (4-Ar2B-3, 5-Me2C6H2)-2, 2’-(C4H2S)2-5’-(3, 5-Me2C6H2-4-BAr2) (34+). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data on the neutral bis- triarylborane precursor 2N confirm its rod-like dumbbell structure, which is shown to be important for DNA/RNA targeting and also for BSA protein binding. Fluorimetric titrations with DNA/RNA/BSA revealed the very strong affinity of 24+ and indicated the importance of the properties of the linker connecting the two triarylboranes. Using the butadiyne- rather than a bithiophene linker resulted in an opposite emission effect (quenching vs enhancement), and 24+ bound to BSA 100 times stronger than 34+. Moreover, 24+ interacted strongly with ss-RNA, and circular dichroism (CD) results suggest ss- RNA chain-wrapping around the rod-like bis-triarylborane dumbbell structure like a thread around a spindle, a very unusual mode of binding of ss-RNA with small molecules. Furthermore, 24+ yielded strong Raman/SERS signals, allowing DNA or protein detection at ca. 10 nM concentrations. The above observations, combined with low cytotoxicity, efficient human cell uptake and organelle-selective accumulation make such compounds intriguing novel lead structures for bio-oriented, dual fluorescence/Raman-based applications

Electron-Rich EDOT Linkers in Tetracationic bis-Triarylborane Chromophores: Influence on Water Stability, Biomacromolecule Sensing, and Photoinduced Cytotoxicity

Three novel tetracationic bis-triarylboranes with 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) linkers, and their neutral precursors, showed significant red-shifted absorption and emission compared to their thiophene-containing analogues, with one of the EDOT-derivatives emitting in the NIR region. Only the EDOT-linked trixylylborane tetracation was stable in aqueous solution, indicating that direct attachment of a thiophene or even 3-methylthiophene to the boron atom is insufficient to provide hydrolytic stability in aqueous solution. Further comparative analysis of the EDOT-linked trixylylborane tetracation and its bis-thiophene analogue revealed efficient photo-induced singlet oxygen production, with the consequent biological implications. Thus, both analogues bind strongly to ds-DNA and BSA, very efficiently enter living human cells, accumulate in several different cytoplasmic organelles with no toxic effect but, under intense visible light irradiation, they exhibit almost instantaneous and very strong cytotoxic effects, presumably attributed to singlet oxygen production. Thus, both compounds are intriguing theranostic agents, whose intracellular and probably intra-tissue location can be monitored by strong fluorescence, allowing switching on of the strong bioactivity by well-focused visible light

Potential of Airborne LiDAR Derived Vegetation Structure for the Prediction of Animal Species Richness at Mount Kilimanjaro

The monitoring of species and functional diversity is of increasing relevance for the development of strategies for the conservation and management of biodiversity. Therefore, reliable estimates of the performance of monitoring techniques across taxa become important. Using a unique dataset, this study investigates the potential of airborne LiDAR-derived variables characterizing vegetation structure as predictors for animal species richness at the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. To disentangle the structural LiDAR information from co-factors related to elevational vegetation zones, LiDAR-based models were compared to the predictive power of elevation models. 17 taxa and 4 feeding guilds were modeled and the standardized study design allowed for a comparison across the assemblages. Results show that most taxa (14) and feeding guilds (3) can be predicted best by elevation with normalized RMSE values but only for three of those taxa and two of those feeding guilds the difference to other models is significant. Generally, modeling performances between different models vary only slightly for each assemblage. For the remaining, structural information at most showed little additional contribution to the performance. In summary, LiDAR observations can be used for animal species prediction. However, the effort and cost of aerial surveys are not always in proportion with the prediction quality, especially when the species distribution follows zonal patterns, and elevation information yields similar results

Tschechische Neonazis. Ursachen rechter Einstellungen und faschistische Semantiken in Zeiten schnellen sozialen Wandels

Ferger F. Tschechische Neonazis. Ursachen rechter Einstellungen und faschistische Semantiken in Zeiten schnellen sozialen Wandels. Explorations of the Far Right. Vol 2. Stuttgart: ibidem; 2011

Milieustudie als Schlüssel zum Verständnis von Jan Nerudas Erzählung ‘Jak si nakouřil pan Vorel pěnovku’

Ferger F. Milieustudie als Schlüssel zum Verständnis von Jan Nerudas Erzählung ‘Jak si nakouřil pan Vorel pěnovku’. In: Mende R, Sikora T, Martínek F, eds. Literatur, Sprache, Kultur und Fremde. Beiträge zur V. Internationalen Westslawistischen Studentenkonferenz InterFaces in Leipzig, 17. - 24.10.2005. Hildesheim, Zürich, New York: Georg Olms Verlag; 2007: 65-77

Alles Verlierer? Die Modernisierungsverliererhypothese auf dem empirischen Prüfstand

Ferger F. Alles Verlierer? Die Modernisierungsverliererhypothese auf dem empirischen Prüfstand. In: Dieter B, Maria J, Peter Oliver L, eds. Legitimation und Protest. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag; 2012: 139-151

Pure Boric Acid Does Not Show Room-Temperature Phosphorescence (RTP)

Boric acid (BA) has been used as a transparent glass matrix for optical materials for over 100 years. However, recently, apparent room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from BA (crystalline and powder states) was reported (Zheng et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 9500) when irradiated at 280 nm under ambient conditions. We suspected that RTP from their BA sample was induced by an unidentified impurity. Our experimental results show that pure BA synthesized from B(OMe)$_{3}$ does not luminesce in the solid state when irradiated at 250–400 nm, while commercial BA indeed (faintly) luminesces. Our theoretical calculations show that neither individual BA molecules nor aggregates would absorb light at >175 nm, and we observe no absorption of solid pure BA experimentally at >200 nm. Therefore, it is not possible for pure BA to be excited at >250 nm even in the solid state. Thus, pure BA does not display RTP, whereas trace impurities can induce RTP

Synthesis of Highly Functionalizable Symmetrically and Unsymmetrically Substituted Triarylboranes from Bench‐Stable Boron Precursors

A novel and convenient methodology for the one-pot synthesis of sterically congested triarylboranes by using bench-stable aryltrifluoroborates as the boron source is reported. This procedure gives systematic access to symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted triarylboranes of the types BAr$_{2}$Ar’ and BArAr'Ar’’, respectively. Three unsymmetrically substituted triarylboranes as well as their iridium-catalyzed C−H borylation products are reported. These borylated triarylboranes contain one to three positions that can subsequently be orthogonally functionalized in follow-up reactions, such as Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings or Sonogashira couplings