Bio accessibility of tire-associated organic chemicals in fish gut (Oncorhynchus mykiss): insights from an in vitro digestion model

Tire and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) account for an important part of the anthropogenic particles released into the environment. There are scientific knowledge gaps as to the potential bio accessibility of chemicals associated with TRWP to aquatic organisms. This study aimed to investigate the solubilization of five tire-associated chemicals into fish gut using an in vitro digestion model (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Our results show that the targeted compounds were partly and rapidly solubilized into simulated fluids (SF) present in the gastrointestinal tract within a typical gut transit time for fish (3h in SFGASTRIC and 24h in SFINTESTINAL). The effects of food co-ingestion on the solubilization of tire-associated chemicals was compound-specific and either lowered or stimulated their solubilization into the gut fluids. Therefore, the uptake of the tire associated chemicals by the epithelial cells and related toxicity to fish need to be investigated

Veralltäglichung und Degendering von E-Learning: Ergebnisse des Forschungsprojekts "Das aufwändige Geschlecht"

"Der Bericht beschreibt die wichtigsten Ergebnisse des von der DFG geförderten Forschungsprojekts „Das aufwändige Geschlecht“. Ausgehend von der Theorie über die Ko-Konstruktion von Technik & Geschlecht wurden im Rahmen des Projekts die Möglichkeiten untersucht, durch die Nutzung von E-Learning an Hochschulen das Geschlecht zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Einige Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass E-Learning in seiner täglichen Nutzung von den Studierenden nicht mehr als Technologie angesehen wird und diese Technologie folglich in ihrer Alltäglichkeit nicht mehr dazu genutzt wird, das Geschlecht zu performieren. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich, dass durch E-Learning die Möglichkeit unterstützt wird, das ‚Studium zu konsumieren‘. Lernunterlagen werden immer mehr und sollen beispielsweise immer mehr über die unterschiedlichsten Lehrplattformen digital zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Dies laut den Studierenden einerseits so umfassend wie nötig, aber auch so konzentriert wie möglich, sodass für die Studierenden selber keine weitere Recherche- und Lesearbeiten mehr notwendig werden." (Autorenreferat)"The report describes key results of the research project ‘Das aufwändige Geschlecht’ (‘The Arduous Gender’), which was funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation). Based on the theory of the co-construction of gender and technology the project analysed whether it is possible to perform one’s gender by using e-learning in higher education. The results of the project show that students no longer regard e-learning in everyday use as technology. Thus, students do not use this technology in their daily routine to perform their gender. Furthermore, the results show that e-learning supports the attitude that we call ‘studying as consumption’. More and more learning materials are being digitised and students prefer to get all these materials via e-learning services, without having to put any effort into fi nding other scientifi c materials themselves and reading other (not digitised) materials." (author's abstract

Training Schrödinger’s cat: quantum optimal control

It is control that turns scientific knowledge into useful technology: in physics and engineering itprovides a systematic way for driving a dynamical system from a given initial state into a desired targetstate with minimized expenditure of energy and resources. As one of the cornerstones for enabling quantumtechnologies, optimal quantum control keeps evolving and expanding into areas as diverse as quantumenhancedsensing, manipulation of single spins, photons, or atoms, optical spectroscopy, photochemistry,magnetic resonance (spectroscopy as well as medical imaging), quantum information processing and quantumsimulation. In this communication, state-of-the-art quantum control techniques are reviewed and putinto perspective by a consortium of experts in optimal control theory and applications to spectroscopy,imaging, as well as quantum dynamics of closed and open systems. We address key challenges and sketcha roadmap for future developments

E-Learning und Geschlechterdifferenzen? Zwischen Selbsteinschätzung, Nutzungsnötigung und Diskurs

Der Beitrag behandelt das Zusammenspiel von geschlechtlichen Identitätskonstruktionen und E-Learning-Nutzung. Geschlecht steht regelmäßig im Fokus von Untersuchungen zur Techniknutzung. Diese haben allerdings in der Regel zum Ziel, mit quantitativen Datenerhebungen Geschlechterunterschiede zu identifizieren und nebeneinander zu stellen. Der Beitrag beschreibt den Ansatz, das Thema auch qualitativ zu untersuchen, sowie erste Ergebnisse. Zentraler Ansatzpunkt ist die Selbsteinschätzung von E-Learning-bezogenen Kompetenzen. Drei Fragestellungen stehen im Zentrum des Forschungsvorhabens: 1. Unterstützen die Struktur und die Handhabung von E-Learning-Settings Geschlechterkonstruktionen – v.a. auch Selbstzuschreibungen – der Studierenden, die sie nutzen? Wenn ja (2), auf welche Weise? 3. Welche geschlechtlichen Differenzierungen werden so produziert und wirksam? (DIPF/ Orig.

Forumsdiskussionen im Internet als reaktives Instrument der Datenerhebung. Ein Werkstattbericht.

Schiek D, Ullrich CG. Forumsdiskussionen im Internet als reaktives Instrument der Datenerhebung. Ein Werkstattbericht. In: Schirmer D, Sander N, Wenninger A, eds. Die qualitative Analyse internetbasierter Daten. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften; 2015: 133-159

In-vitro digestion of Tire and Road Wear Particles: Bioavailability of metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The potential impact of Tire and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) on aquatic organisms has recently gained attention since the occurrence of TRWP in the aquatic environment has been observed in surface water and sediments of numerous regions. Moreover, the ingestion of TRWP by aquatic species, including fish, has recently been demonstrated. However, data regarding the bioavailability and toxicity of contaminants associated with these particles are still lacking. This study aimed (i) to characterize the solubilization potential of metals and PAHs from tire particles and TRWP in Simulated Gastric Fluids (SFG) and Simulated Intestinal Fluids (SIF) designed to mimic Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow Trout) gut conditions and (ii) to assess the impact of influencing factors such as co-ingestion of natural food organic matter on the compounds solubilization. Our results showed that solubilization of all metals and PAHs were enhanced by up to 10-fold in simulated gut fluids compared to solubilization in the control (phosphate buffer saline solution). Zn was highly solubilized after an in-vitro digestion of 24-h with a final concentration in SIF of 3,2 µg.L-1 corresponding to 23 % of the total Zn concentration in TRWP. Five PAHs (Fluoranthene, Phenanthrene, Pyrene, Benzo (e) Pyrene and Benzo (g,h,i) perylene) were quantified in SIF after an incubation time of 24-h and the concentration of individual PAHs in SIF ranged from 42 to 3092 ng.L-1 which represented 0,4 – 1,5 % of their total concentration measured in tire particles. Metals were highly solubilized by the acidic SGF (pH = 2) but only a weak solubilization was observed in neutral SIF (pH = 7,4). Contrastingly, PAHs were not solubilized in SGF and highly solubilized in SIF which was proved to contain high quantities of proteins and surfactants forming micelles. This emphasise the importance of pH in the solubilization of metals and of bile surfactants and organic matter in the solubilization of PAHs from TRWP and brings new insights on the bioavailability of metals and organic pollutants from TRWP. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of accounting for the ingestion of TRWP as an important route of exposure to metals and PAHs for aquatic organisms. As the solubilization of potential toxic compounds was greatly enhanced by the gut fluids and leads to bioavailability of these compounds, further studies investigating the uptake by the epithelial cells and transfer throughout the whole organism will be performed