Die kommunikative Kompetenz Mitteleuropas

Gefragt wird, inwiefern dem deutschsprachigen Mitteleuropa eine kulturelle Identität als einer konstitutiven Dimension von Gesellschaft zukommt. Argumentiert wird, daß dieser Raum schon viele Teilungen und Staatenbildungen erlebt hat, ohne seine kulturelle Qualität einzubüßen. Trotzdem trägt die kulturelle Identität nicht soweit, daß sie eine politische Einheit begründet. Und dennoch bildet dieser Raum zumindest aus weltgesellschaftlicher Perspektive eine Kultur. Die kulturräumliche Verbundenheit Mitteleuropas wird gegenwärtig mit dynamischen Prozessen virulent, die im Ergebnis die kommunikative Kompetenz dieses Raumes erweisen könnte: Abrüstung in Zentraleuropa; westeuropäischer Binnenmarkt; Anschluß Österreichs an die EG; Umbau der Gesellschaften in Osteuropa. Die international zu beobachtende zivilisatorische Annäherung der Nationen schreitet fort, aber kultursoziologisch bemerkenswert ist, daß auf dem Weg zur europäischen Gesellschaft, sich die Nationalkulturen als durchaus resistent, zumindest als persistent erweisen. (GF

Die Gestaltung der Globalität. Schlüsselwörter der sozialen Ordnung (I) = The design of globality. Keywords of the social order (I). ZEI Discussion Paper C211, 2012

Since 2009, ZEI is engaged in a research project titled "Shaping Globality". Following methodological and conceptual work, the scholars engaged in this project have begun to reflect the consequences of the "global turn" on key notions of social order. The new ZEI Discussion Paper brings together several scholarly papers on key notions of social order under the conditions of globality, written by academics of Bonn University: space (Ruth Knoblich/Robert Meyer), norm (Andreas Marchetti), world government (Christian Schwermann) and knowledge (Maximilian Mayer). The ZEI Discussion Paper is edited by Ludger Kühnhardt and Tilman Mayer

Der "Paradigmenwechsel" zur Einführung des Elterngeldes und seine Fehlkonstruktionen

"Der Beitrag analysiert den Politikprozess zur Einführung des Elterngeldes. Dargelegt wird, welche Akteure, Parteien und Wissenschaftler die Einführung des Elterngeldes vorantrieben. Von einem wirklichen Paradigmenwechsel kann jedoch nicht die Rede sein: nicht nur, dass das einkommensabhängige Elterngeld in Westdeutschland verspätet eingeführt wurde; auch der Ausbau der öffentlichen Kinderbetreuung für unter 3-Jährige stockt. Das neu eingeführte Betreuungsgeld stellt aufgrund seiner geringen Höhe keinen Ausgleich der Opportunitätskosten. Der Beitrag diskutiert anschließend die Elterngeldstatistik und die Geburtenstatistik. Ein angemessenes Elterngeld beziehen vorrangig über 30-jährige Mütter sowie Frauen, die ihr erstes Kind bekommen. Die Geburtenrate stagniert bei 1,4 Kindern pro Frau, der Anteil der Spätgebärenden steigt." (Autorenreferat)"The article analyses the political process concerning the implementation of the parental allowance ("Elterngeld") and its currently measurable successes. It shows which players, political parties and scientists brought the income-based parental allowance on its way. A clear paradigm shift towards supporting working mothers cannot be observed due to the rather slight expansion of public child care and the implementation of care money ('Betreuungsgeld') in 2013. Subsequently statistical records on the enlargement of public child care arrangements, the parental allowance, and the birth register are discussed. The period birth rate is stagnating at 1.4 children per woman, further postponement of births takes place and the number of late mothers increases." (author's abstract

Effects of sudden walking perturbations on neuromuscular reflex activity and three-dimensional motion of the trunk in healthy controls and back pain symptomatic subjects.

Background Back pain patients (BPP) show delayed muscle onset, increased co-contractions, and variability as response to quasi-static sudden trunk loading in comparison to healthy controls (H). However, it is unclear whether these results can validly be transferred to suddenly applied walking perturbations, an automated but more functional and complex movement pattern. There is an evident need to develop research-based strategies for the rehabilitation of back pain. Therefore, the investigation of differences in trunk stability between H and BPP in functional movements is of primary interest in order to define suitable intervention regimes. The purpose of this study was to analyse neuromuscular reflex activity as well as three-dimensional trunk kinematics between H and BPP during walking perturbations. Methods Eighty H (31m/49f;29±9yrs;174±10cm;71±13kg) and 14 BPP (6m/8f;30±8yrs;171±10cm;67±14kg) walked (1m/s) on a split-belt treadmill while 15 right-sided perturbations (belt decelerating, 40m/s2, 50ms duration; 200ms after heel contact) were randomly applied. Trunk muscle activity was assessed using a 12-lead EMG set-up. Trunk kinematics were measured using a 3-segment-model consisting of 12 markers (upper thoracic (UTA), lower thoracic (LTA), lumbar area (LA)). EMG-RMS ([%],0-200ms after perturbation) was calculated and normalized to the RMS of unperturbed gait. Latency (TON;ms) and time to maximum activity (TMAX;ms) were analysed. Total motion amplitude (ROM;[°]) and mean angle (Amean;[°]) for extension-flexion, lateral flexion and rotation were calculated (whole stride cycle; 0-200ms after perturbation) for each of the three segments during unperturbed and perturbed gait. For ROM only, perturbed was normalized to unperturbed step [%] for the whole stride as well as the 200ms after perturbation. Data were analysed descriptively followed by a student´s t-test to account for group differences. Co-contraction was analyzed between ventral and dorsal muscles (V:R) as well as side right:side left ratio (Sright:Sleft). The coefficient of variation (CV;%) was calculated (EMG-RMS;ROM) to evaluate variability between the 15 perturbations for all groups. With respect to unequal distribution of participants to groups, an additional matched-group analysis was conducted. Fourteen healthy controls out of group H were sex-, age- and anthropometrically matched (group Hmatched) to the BPP. Results No group differences were observed for EMG-RMS or CV analysis (EMG/ROM) (p>0.025). Co-contraction analysis revealed no differences for V:R and Srigth:Sleft between the groups (p>0.025). BPP showed an increased TON and TMAX, being significant for Mm. rectus abdominus (p = 0.019) and erector spinae T9/L3 (p = 0.005/p = 0.015). ROM analysis over the unperturbed stride cycle revealed no differences between groups (p>0.025). Normalization of perturbed to unperturbed step lead to significant differences for the lumbar segment (LA) in lateral flexion with BPP showing higher normalized ROM compared to Hmatched (p = 0.02). BPP showed a significant higher flexed posture (UTA (p = 0.02); LTA (p = 0.004)) during normal walking (Amean). Trunk posture (Amean) during perturbation showed higher trunk extension values in LTA segments for H/Hmatched compared to BPP (p = 0.003). Matched group (BPP vs. Hmatched) analysis did not show any systematic changes of all results between groups. Conclusion BPP present impaired muscle response times and trunk posture, especially in the sagittal and transversal planes, compared to H. This could indicate reduced trunk stability and higher loading during gait perturbations

On the identification of quasiprimary scaling operators in local scale-invariance

The relationship between physical observables defined in lattice models and the associated (quasi-)primary scaling operators of the underlying field-theory is revisited. In the context of local scale-invariance, we argue that this relationship is only defined up to a time-dependent amplitude and derive the corresponding generalizations of predictions for two-time response and correlation functions. Applications to non-equilibrium critical dynamics of several systems, with a fully disordered initial state and vanishing initial magnetization, including the Glauber-Ising model, the Frederikson-Andersen model and the Ising spin glass are discussed. The critical contact process and the parity-conserving non-equilibrium kinetic Ising model are also considered.Comment: 12 pages, Latex2e with IOP macros, 2 figures included; final for

Ageing phenomena without detailed balance: the contact process

The long-time dynamics of the 1D contact process suddenly brought out of an uncorrelated initial state is studied through a light-cone transfer-matrix renormalisation group approach. At criticality, the system undergoes ageing which is characterised through the dynamical scaling of the two-times autocorrelation and autoresponse functions. The observed non-equality of the ageing exponents a and b excludes the possibility of a finite fluctuation-dissipation ratio in the ageing regime. The scaling form of the critical autoresponse function is in agreement with the prediction of local scale-invariance.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, Latex2e with IOP macro

Promoting ecosystem and human health in urban areas using green infrastructure: A literature review

Europe is a highly urbanised continent. The consequent loss and degradation of urban and peri-urban green space could adversely affect ecosystems as well as human health and well-being. The aim of this paper is to formulate a conceptual framework of associations between urban green space and ecosystem and human health. Through an interdisciplinary literature review the concepts of Green Infrastructure, ecosystem health, and human health and well-being are discussed. The possible contributions of urban and peri-urban green space systems, or Green Infrastructure, on both ecosystem and human health are critically reviewed. Finally, based on a synthesis of the literature a conceptual framework is presented. The proposed conceptual framework highlights many dynamic factors, and their complex interactions, affecting ecosystem health and human health in urban areas. This framework forms the context into which extant and new research can be placed. In this way it forms the basis for a new interdisciplinary research agenda

Drug-coated balloon: an effective alternative to stent strategy in small-vessel coronary artery disease—a meta-analysis

BackgroundSmall-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) is frequently observed in coronary angiography and linked to a higher risk of lesion failure and restenosis. Currently, treatment of small vessels is not standardized while having drug-eluting stents (DES) or drug-coated balloons (DCBs) as possible strategies. We aimed to conduct a meta-analytic approach to assess the effectiveness of treatment strategies and outcomes for small-vessel CAD.MethodsComprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies reporting treatment strategies of small-vessel CAD with a reference diameter of ≤3.0 mm. Target lesion revascularization (TLR), target lesion thrombosis, all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as clinical outcomes. Outcomes from single-arm and randomized studies based on measures by means of their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared using a meta-analytic approach. Statistical significance was assumed if CIs did not overlap.ResultsThirty-seven eligible studies with a total of 31,835 patients with small-vessel CAD were included in the present analysis. Among those, 28,147 patients were treated with DES (24 studies) and 3,299 patients with DCB (18 studies). Common baseline characteristics were equally distributed in the different studies. TLR rate was 4% in both treatment strategies [0.04; 95% CI 0.03–0.05 (DES) vs. 0.03–0.07 (DCB)]. MI occurred in 3% of patients receiving DES and in 2% treated with DCB [0.03 (0.02–0.04) vs. 0.02 (0.01–0.03)]. All-cause mortality was 3% in the DES group [0.03 (0.02–0.05)] compared with 1% in the DCB group [0.01 (0.00–0.03)]. Approximately 9% of patients with DES developed MACE vs. 4% of patients with DCB [0.09 (0.07–0.10) vs. 0.04 (0.02–0.08)]. Meta-regression analysis did not show a significant impact of reference vessel diameter on outcomes.ConclusionThis large meta-analytic approach demonstrates similar clinical and angiographic results between treatment strategies with DES and DCB in small-vessel CAD. Therefore, DES may be waived in small coronary arteries when PCI is performed with DCB