The effectiveness and efficiency of public spending

This paper shows that the efficiency in public services more generally and in public spending on education and R&D in particular varies significantly between countries. The paper, however, also illustrates the difficulties of measuring efficiency and effectiveness. Progress has been made in developing the necessary measurement techniques, but there is a lack of suitable data to apply those techniques.  Good quality data are needed because the techniques available to measure efficiency are sensitive to outliers and may be influenced by exogenous factors. Against this background, analyses based upon individual spending areas seem to be a more promising approach to measure efficiency and effectiveness on a cross-country basis.The effectiveness and efficiency of public spending, education spending, R&D spending, efficiency frontier, public administration, input, output, environmental factors, Mandl, Dierx, Ilzkovitz

Lernkompetenz für die Wissensgesellschaft

Recent social developments towards a "knowledge society" require the ability to engage in life-long learning, i.e. learning competence. The term learning competence is elucidated in this paper, including its constituents "learning" and "competence": Against the background of a moderate constructivist approach, learning is perceived as an active, constructive, self-regulated, situated and interactive process. Competence is defined as the ability to act successfully. As to learning competence, a subdivision into three components is suggested: self-regulatory competence, cooperative competence, and media competence. These sub-competencies are illustrated and suggestions are made for their support by means of problem-oriented learning environments. As an example, a problem-oriented virtual seminar at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich is described that intends to enhance competencies in self-regulated, cooperative and web-based learning. Finally, factors are indicated that should be taken into account while implementing new concepts of learning for the support of learning competenceDie Entwicklung zur "Wissensgesellschaft" verlangt vom Einzelnen die Fähigkeit zum lebenslangen Lernen, also Lernkompetenz. Der Begriff der Lernkompetenz wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit erläutert, unter Berücksichtigung seiner Bestandteile "Lernen" und "Kompetenz": Vor dem Hintergrund einer gemäßigt konstruktivistischen Lehr-Lernphilosophie wird Lernen als ein aktiv-konstruktiver, selbstgesteuerter, situierter und interaktiver Prozess angesehen. Kompetenz wird als die Fähigkeit zum erfolgreichen Handeln definiert. Hinsichtlich der Lernkompetenz wird eine Unterteilung in drei Teilfähigkeiten vorgeschlagen: Selbststeuerungskompetenz, Kooperationskompetenz und Medienkompetenz. Diese werden näher beschrieben, weiterhin wird dargestellt, wie diese Teilfähigkeiten durch die Gestaltung problemorientierter Lernumgebungen gefördert werden können. Als Beispiel dient ein problemorientiertes virtuelles Seminar der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, das Fähigkeiten zum selbstgesteuerten Lernen und zur netzbasierten Kooperation unterstützen soll. Zum Schluss werden Faktoren aufgezeigt, die es bei der Einführung neuer Konzepte zur Förderung der Lernkompetenz zu beachten gil

Förderung des computerbasierten Wissenserwerbs im Bereich empirischer Forschungsmethoden durch kooperatives Lernen und eine Feedbackmaßnahme

This study examined if computer-based learning in the field of empirical research methods could be fostered by cooperative learning and feedback. Students (n = 137) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions in a 2x2-factorial design: individual learning with and without feedback intervention, and dyadic learning with and without feedback intervention. Individuals and dyads performed problem-solving tasks on correlation within a computer-based learning environment. The feedback intervention consisted of comprehension tests with elaborated feedback. In the cooperative conditions, feedback referred to the performance of the dyad, hence it was group feedback. Results showed that the feedback intervention had a substantial positive effect on learning outcomes, while cooperative learning did not significantly influence achievement. Moreover, a significant interaction effect was found: in the feedback conditions, individuals performed better than dyads; however, without the feedback intervention, dyads were more successful. For pedagogical practice it can be concluded that the feedback intervention should be implemented both in individual and cooperative computer-based learning. Especially when students learn individually, feedback is important. Further research should investigate effects of the feedback intervention in a field studIn einem Laborexperiment wurden zwei instruktionale Maßnahmen zur Förderung des computerbasierten Wissenserwerbs im Bereich empirischer Forschungsmethoden erprobt: kooperatives Lernen und Feedback. Innerhalb eines 2x2-faktoriellen Designs wurden die Faktoren "Sozialform" (individuell vs. kooperativ) und "Feedbackmaßnahme" (vorhanden vs. nicht vorhanden) variiert. 137 Studierende wurden den vier experimentellen Bedingungen zufällig zugewiesen. Die Probanden bearbeiteten innerhalb einer computerbasierten Lernumgebung allein oder zu zweit Problemlöseaufgaben zum Thema Korrelationsrechnung. Die Feedbackmaßnahme bestand aus Verständnistests mit elaboriertem Feedback. In den kooperativen Bedingungen bezog sich das Feedback auf die gemeinsame Leistung, es handelte sich also um Gruppenfeedback. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Wissenserwerb mit Hilfe der Feedbackmaßnahme substanziell gefördert werden konnte, während sich die Sozialform wider Erwarten nicht signifikant auf die Lernleistung auswirkte. Es zeigte sich weiterhin ein Interaktionseffekt der beiden Faktoren: Mit Feedback waren Individuen den Dyaden signifikant überlegen, ohne Feedback waren Dyaden deskriptiv erfolgreicher als einzelne Lernende. Für die Praxis kann gefolgert werden, dass der Einsatz der Feedbackmaßnahme sowohl beim individuellen als auch beim kooperativen computerbasierten Lernen sinnvoll ist. Besondere Bedeutung kommt dem Feedback beim individuellen Lernen zu. Für eine weitere Forschung empfiehlt sich unter anderem die Evaluation der Feedbackmaßnahme im F

Framework Informationskompetenz: Ein gemeinsamer Standard für die Qualifikation in den bibliotheks- und informationswissenschaftlichen Studiengängen in Deutschland

Der Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse der Fachgruppe Informationskompetenz der KIBA vor, in der alle Lehrenden im Bereich der Vermittlung von Medien- und Informationskompetenz an bibliotheks- und informationswissenschaftlichen Studiengängen in Deutschland zusammenarbeiten. Ausgangspunkt ist das „Framework Informationskompetenz“, ein Anforderungsrahmen, der gemeinsame Standards in der Qualifikation von Studierenden der Bibliotheks- und Informationswissenschaft für das Aufgabenfeld der Förderung von Informationskompetenz sichern soll. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie die in diesem Rahmenmodell formulierten Qualifikationsstandards in den verschiedenen Studiengängen umgesetzt werden und wo es bedarfsbezogene Ausprägung und Gewichtung in den Qualifikationszielen gibt.This article presents the results of the KIBA’s Expert Goup on Information Literacy, in which all lecturers in the field of teaching media and information literacy at Library and Information Science degree programmes in Germany work together. It takes as its starting point the “Framework Information Literacy”, a framework of requirements intended to ensure common standards in the qualification of students of Library and Information Science for the task field of promoting information literacy. It shows how the qualification standards expressed in this framework are implemented in the various study programmes and where the qualification goals need to be adapted or weighted differently

Frequency and Prognostic Impact of ALK Amplifications and Mutations in the European Neuroblastoma Study Group (SIOPEN) High-Risk Neuroblastoma Trial (HR-NBL1)

Purpose: In neuroblastoma (NB), the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase can be constitutively activated through activating point mutations or genomic amplification. We studied ALK genetic alterations in high-risk (HR) patients on the HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial to determine their frequency, correlation with clinical parameters, and prognostic impact. Materials and methods: Diagnostic tumor samples were available from 1,092 HR-NBL1/SIOPEN patients to determine ALK amplification status (n = 330), ALK mutational profile (n = 191), or both (n = 571). Results: Genomic ALK amplification (ALKa) was detected in 4.5% of cases (41 out of 901), all except one with MYCN amplification (MNA). ALKa was associated with a significantly poorer overall survival (OS) (5-year OS: ALKa [n = 41] 28% [95% CI, 15 to 42]; no-ALKa [n = 860] 51% [95% CI, 47 to 54], [P 20% mutated allele fraction) in 10% of cases (76 out of 762) and at a subclonal level (mutated allele fraction 0.1%-20%) in 3.9% of patients (30 out of 762), with a strong correlation between the presence of ALKm and MNA (P < .001). Among 571 cases with known ALKa and ALKm status, a statistically significant difference in OS was observed between cases with ALKa or clonal ALKm versus subclonal ALKm or no ALK alterations (5-year OS: ALKa [n = 19], 26% [95% CI, 10 to 47], clonal ALKm [n = 65] 33% [95% CI, 21 to 44], subclonal ALKm (n = 22) 48% [95% CI, 26 to 67], and no alteration [n = 465], 51% [95% CI, 46 to 55], respectively; P = .001). Importantly, in a multivariate model, involvement of more than one metastatic compartment (hazard ratio [HR], 2.87; P < .001), ALKa (HR, 2.38; P = .004), and clonal ALKm (HR, 1.77; P = .001) were independent predictors of poor outcome. Conclusion: Genetic alterations of ALK (clonal mutations and amplifications) in HR-NB are independent predictors of poorer survival. These data provide a rationale for integration of ALK inhibitors in upfront treatment of HR-NB with ALK alterations.Key Objective: High risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) is one of the most difficult childhood cancers to cure. This study examined whether the presence of an ALK alteration (amplification or mutation) was associated with a poor prognosis in a large patient series treated on the prospective European high-risk neuroblastoma trial (HR-NBL1). Knowledge Generated: We found that ALK amplification or clonal mutation was associated with inferior prognosis in patients with HR-NB and both are independent prognostic variables on multivariate analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the highly prognostic significance of ALK amplification in HR-NB. Relevance: As ALK can be targeted therapeutically, this study convincingly argues for the introduction of ALK inhibitors for upfront management of patients with HR-NB with ALK aberrations. Importantly, the prognostic significance of ALK alterations included a subgroup of trial patients treated with the current standard of care for HR-NB including anti-GD2 immunotherapy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immunotherapy with MVA-BN®-HER2 induces HER-2-specific Th1 immunity and alters the intratumoral balance of effector and regulatory T cells

MVA-BN®-HER2 is a new candidate immunotherapy designed for the treatment of HER-2-positive breast cancer. Here, we demonstrate that a single treatment with MVA-BN®-HER2 exerts potent anti-tumor efficacy in a murine model of experimental pulmonary metastasis. This anti-tumor efficacy occurred despite a strong tumor-mediated immunosuppressive environment characterized by a high frequency of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the lungs of tumor-bearing mice. Immunogenicity studies showed that treatment with MVA-BN®-HER2 induced strongly Th1-dominated HER-2-specific antibody and T-cell responses. MVA-BN®-HER2-induced anti-tumor activity was characterized by an increased infiltration of lungs with highly activated, HER-2-specific, CD8+CD11c+ T cells accompanied by a decrease in the frequency of Treg cells in the lung, resulting in a significantly increased ratio of effector T cells to Treg cells. In contrast, administration of HER2 protein formulated in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) induced a strongly Th2-biased immune response to HER-2. However, this did not lead to significant infiltration of the tumor-bearing lungs by CD8+ T cells or the decrease in the frequency of Treg cells nor did it result in anti-tumor efficacy. In vivo depletion of CD8+ cells confirmed that CD8 T cells were required for the anti-tumor activity of MVA-BN®-HER2. Furthermore, depletion of CD4+ or CD25+ cells demonstrated that tumor-induced Treg cells promoted tumor growth and that CD4 effector cells also contribute to MVA-BN®-HER2-mediated anti-tumor efficacy. Taken together, our data demonstrate that treatment with MVA-BN®-HER2 controls tumor growth through mechanisms including the induction of Th1-biased HER-2-specific immune responses and the control of tumor-mediated immunosuppression

Association of TLR7 Variants with AIDS-Like Disease and AIDS Vaccine Efficacy in Rhesus Macaques

In HIV infection, TLR7-triggered IFN-α production exerts a direct antiviral effect through the inhibition of viral replication, but may also be involved in immune pathogenesis leading to AIDS. TLR7 could also be an important mediator of vaccine efficacy. In this study, we analyzed polymorphisms in the X-linked TLR7 gene in the rhesus macaque model of AIDS. Upon resequencing of the TLR7 gene in 36 rhesus macaques of Indian origin, 12 polymorphic sites were detected. Next, we identified three tightly linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) as being associated with survival time. Genotyping of 119 untreated, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected male rhesus macaques, including an ‘MHC adjusted’ subset, revealed that the three TLR7 SNPs are also significantly associated with set-point viral load. Surprisingly, this effect was not observed in 72 immunized SIV-infected male monkeys. We hypothesize (i) that SNP c.13G>A in the leader peptide is causative for the observed genotype-phenotype association and that (ii) the underlying mechanism is related to RNA secondary structure formation. Therefore, we investigated a fourth SNP (c.-17C>T), located 17 bp upstream of the ATG translation initiation codon, that is also potentially capable of influencing RNA structure. In c.13A carriers, neither set-point viral load nor survival time were related to the c.-17C>T genotype. In c.13G carriers, by contrast, the c.-17C allele was significantly associated with prolonged survival. Again, no such association was detected among immunized SIV-infected macaques. Our results highlight the dual role of TLR7 in immunodeficiency virus infection and vaccination and imply that it may be important to control human AIDS vaccine trials, not only for MHC genotype, but also for TLR7 genotype

Framework Informationskompetenz : Ein gemeinsamer Standard für die Qualifikation in den bibliotheks- und informationswissenschaftlichen Studiengängen in Deutschland

Der Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse der Fachgruppe Informationskompetenz der KIBA vor, in der alle Lehrenden im Bereich der Vermittlung von Medien- und Informationskompetenz an bibliotheks- und informationswissenschaftlichen Studiengängen in Deutschland zusammenarbeiten. Ausgangspunkt ist das „Framework Informationskompetenz“, ein Anforderungsrahmen, der gemeinsame Standards in der Qualifikation von Studierenden der Bibliotheks- und Informationswissenschaft für das Aufgabenfeld der Förderung von Informationskompetenz sichern soll. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie die in diesem Rahmenmodell formulierten Qualifikationsstandards in den verschiedenen Studiengängen umgesetzt werden und wo es bedarfsbezogene Ausprägung und Gewichtung in den Qualifikationszielen gibt.This article presents the results of the KIBA’s Expert Goup on Information Literacy, in which all lecturers in the field of teaching media and information literacy at Library and Information Science degree programmes in Germany work together. It takes as its starting point the “Framework Information Literacy”, a framework of requirements intended to ensure common standards in the qualification of students of Library and Information Science for the task field of promoting information literacy. It shows how the qualification standards expressed in this framework are implemented in the various study programmes and where the qualification goals need to be adapted or weighted differently

PRIMAGE - An Artifical Intelligence-based Clinical Decision Support System for Optimized Cancer Diagnosis and Risk Assessment : A Progress Update

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