Blackbox Lernprozess und informelle Lernszenarien

Im Kontrast zu weit verbreiteten Auffassungen ist es aus der Sicht von Lernpsychologie und Hirnforschung nicht möglich, individuelle Lernprozesse exakt zu steuern. Im Gegenteil: Der individuelle Lernprozess stellt sich als Blackbox dar, deren Output immer wieder nur erstaunt zur Kenntnis genommen werden kann. Alle Versuche, dieses Problem zu lösen, erweisen sich regelmäßig als Ressourcenverschwendung. Als deutlich effizienter könnte es sich hingegen offenbaren, informelle Lernformen als Methode der Wahl massiv einzusetzen und somit den - ohnehin unrealistischen - Kontrollanspruch als Lehrende endgültig aufzugeben. (DIPF/Orig.

The fostering of innovative eLearning strategies in European higher education

Although there are strong attempts being made by various European observatories and European Commission programmes to identify and disseminate innovative eLearning practices (MENON, 2006), the factors that determine educational effectiveness are, as yet, not well understood. In particular, while an extraordinarily wide range of university-level eLearning programmes are rapidly becoming available from large numbers of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Europe, the sharing of good practice requires detailed accounts of successful innovative eLearning strategies. There are many relevant checklists and sets of principles described in EU websites (e.g. elearningeurope.info, 2006) and in the academic literature (e.g. Conole et al, 2004), but it is often only through thoroughly appreciating what others have done that such abstract guidance come alive. However, it can still be difficult for HEIs to learn from others. While there are many media reports of innovation, these typically have to omit the level of detail that would enable optimal understanding by those HEIs wishing to apply such innovations in their own contexts. Meanwhile, case studies presented at conferences and in the academic literature can provide the necessary level of detail, but it can be difficult to collate such case studies into a form that facilitates consistent descriptions across the diversity of European HEIs. By identifying the various eLearning programmes applied by HEIs in a number of EU member states and conducting a detailed assessment of a sample of eLearning strategies found to be effective supporters of higher education requirements, the EC-funded InnoUniLearning project is disseminating a range of eLearning strategy case studies. Where possible this project is estimating the potential impact of the implemented eLearning programmes, but more importantly it will identify and detail the strategies applied by leading institutions and well-known success stories, as well as those institutions that have applied new and innovative eLearning programmes. It is hoped that the dissemination of these case studies will be of assistance to HEIs across Europe in implementing eLearning strategies that meet their own particular curricular and cohort requirements. The study is concentrating on illuminating a range of successful eLearning strategy cases, rather than necessarily determining best practice, which could be argued an impossible task at the moment because of a lack of learner feedback. Nevertheless, most, if not all, organisations that have implemented eLearning have gone through a period of adjustment in order to obtain an eLearning programme that is cost-efficient and effective; so capturing something of the challenges overcome by the HEIs leading this field should assist the wider EU higher education community. This paper describes background and the methodological approach of the two-year study and some preliminary results, which will be elaborated in the conference presentation

Self-rated risk as a predictor of suicide attempts among high-risk adolescents

Background: Predicting suicide attempts is a challenging task for clinicians and researchers, particularly among high-risk individuals (i.e. adolescents with lifetime suicide attempts). In this study, we examined whether adolescents were able to predict their own risk of attempting suicide in the future and whether borderline personality disorder (BPD) or depressive symptoms impacted the predictive value of self-ratings. Methods: Structured clinical assessments were conducted at baseline and after 12 months in a high-risk sample of treatment-seeking adolescents (n = 134; 12-17y.; 90% female) with at least one lifetime suicide attempt. Results: During the follow-up period, n = 51 participants (38%) attempted suicide at least once. Self-rated risk was a significant predictor for the recurrence of a suicide attempt, whereas BPD and depression were not. While there was no significant interaction between self-rated risk and BPD, a negative interaction emerged between self-rated risk and depression in the prediction of a suicide attempt. Greater depression severity diminished the predictive value of self-ratings. Limitations: Depression severity was measured using a questionnaire, not a clinical interview. The findings may not be applicable to less burdened samples. Conclusions: Asking high-risk adolescents to rate their own risk of attempting suicide appears to be an easy to apply method in improving the prediction of future suicide attempts in the clinical context

Impact of treatment planning target volumen (PTV) size on radiation induced diarrhoea following selenium supplementation in gynecologic radiation oncology - a subgroup analysis of a multicenter, phase III trial

Background: In a previous analysis (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 70:828-835,2010), we assessed whether an adjuvant supplementation with selenium (Se) improves Se status and reduces the radiation-induced side-effects of patients treated by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for cervical and uterine cancer. Now, a potential relation between the planning target volume (PTV) of the RT and the Se effect concerning radiation induced diarrhoea was evaluated in detail. Methods: Whole blood Se concentrations had been measured in patients with cervical (n=11) and uterine cancer (n=70) after surgical treatment, during, and at the end of RT. Patients with initial Se concentrations of less than 84 μg/l were categorized as Se-deficient and randomized before RT to receive Se (as sodium selenite) per os on the days of RT, or to receive no supplement during RT. Diarrhoea was graded according to the Common Toxicity Criteria system (CTC, Version 2a). The evaluation of the PTV of the RT was ascertained with the help of a specialised computer-assisted treatment planning software used for radiation planning procedure. Results: A total of 81 patients had been randomized for the initial supplementation study, 39 of which received Se [selenium group, SeG] and 42 serving as controls [control group, CG]. Mean Se levels did not differ between SeG and CG upon study initiation, but were significantly higher in the SeG compared to the CG at the end of RT. The actuarial incidence of at least CTC 2 radiation induced diarrhoea in the SeG was 20.5% compared to 44.5% in the CG (p=0.04). The median PTV in both groups was 1302 ml (916–4608). With a PTV of 1302 ml (n=40) the actuarial incidence of at least CTC 2 diarrhoea in the SeG was 19.1% (4 of 21 patients) versus 52.6% (10 of 19 patients) in the CG (p=0.046). Conclusions: Se supplementation during RT was effective to improve blood Se status in Se-deficient cervical and uterine cancer patients, and reduces episodes and severity of RT-induced diarrhoea. This effect was most pronounced and significant in patients with large PTV (> 1302 ml)

Dynamic heterogeneities in critical coarsening: Exact results for correlation and response fluctuations in finite-sized spherical models

We study dynamic heterogeneities in the out-of-equilibrium coarsening dynamics of the spherical ferromagnet after a quench from infinite temperature to its critical point. A standard way of probing such heterogeneities is by monitoring the fluctuations of correlation and susceptibility, coarse-grained over mesoscopic regions. We discuss how to define fluctuating coarse-grained correlations (C) and susceptibilities (Chi) in models where no quenched disorder is present. Our focus for the spherical model is on coarse-graining over the whole volume of $N$ spins, which requires accounting for N^{-1/2} non-Gaussian fluctuations of the spin. The latter are treated as a perturbation about the leading order Gaussian statistics. We obtain exact results for these quantities, which enable us to characterise the joint distribution of C and Chi fluctuations. We find that this distribution is qualitatively different, even for equilibrium above criticality, from the spin-glass scenario where C and Chi fluctuations are linked in a manner akin to the fluctuation-dissipation relation between the average C and Chi. Our results show that coarsening at criticality is clearly heterogeneous for d>4 and suggest that, as in other glassy systems, there is a well-defined timescale on which fluctuations across thermal histories are largest. Surprisingly, however, neither this timescale nor the amplitude of the heterogeneities increase with the age of the system, as would be expected from the growing correlation length. For d<4, the strength of the fluctuations varies on a timescale proportional to the age of the system; the corresponding amplitude also grows with age, but does not scale with the correlation volume as might have been expected naively.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figures, version for publication in J. Stat. Mech. Shortened by cutting all technical details in section 6, with minor corrections elsewher

Effects of maternal history of depression and early life maltreatment on children's health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND There is a well-established link between maternal depression and child mental health. Similar effects have been found for maternal history of early life maltreatment (ELM). However, studies investigating the relationship of children's quality of life and maternal depression are scarce and none have been conducted for the association with maternal ELM. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of maternal history of ELM and depression on children's health-related quality of life and to identify mediating factors accounting for these effects. METHODS Our study involved 194 mothers with and without history of depression and/or ELM and their children between five and 12 years. Children's health-related quality of life was assessed by maternal proxy- and child self-ratings using the KIDSCREEN. We considered maternal sensitivity and maternal parenting stress as potential mediators. RESULTS We found an effect of maternal history of depression but not of maternal history of ELM on health-related quality of life. Maternal stress and sensitivity mediated the effects of maternal depression on child global health-related quality of life, as well as on the dimensions Autonomy & Parent Relation, School Environment (maternal and child rating), and Physical Wellbeing (child rating). LIMITATION Due to the cross-sectional design of the study, causal interpretations must be made with caution. Some scales yielded low internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS Maternal impairments in areas of parenting which possibly developed during acute depression persist even after remission of acute affective symptoms. Interventions should target parenting stress and sensitivity in parents with prior depression

Beiträge zur Geschichte des Landkreises Regensburg 8

1200 Jahre Sünching - Beiträge zur Geschichte eine Gäubodengemeinde; Darin: Werner, Hannsjürgen: Die vor- und frühgeschichtliche Besiedlung der Gemeinde Sünching (S. 10); Spitzlberger, Georg: Ein römisches Landhaus im Raum Sünching (S. 15); Fendl, Josef: Die Ochsenstraße (S. 18); Fendl, Josef: Die ersten urkundlichen Nennungen Sünchings (S. 19); Fendl, Josef: Das älteste Sünchinger Denkmal (S. 21); Fendl, Josef: Die Sünchinger - Marschälle des Hochstifts Regensburg (S. 23); Fendl, Josef: Die Hofer und Staufer als Herren von Sünching (S. 25); Fendl, Josef: Eine Sünchinger Prachtbibel (S. 30); Fendl, Josef: Ein Sünchinger war Hofnarr der Fürstbischöfe von Passau (S. 32); Reichl, Josef: Die Seinsheimer in Sünching (S. 34); Fendl, Josef: Ein schreckliches halbes Jahr (1633/34) (S. 39); Fendl, Josef: Die Herrschaft Sünching (S. 40); Fendl, Josef: Die Sünchinger Sautonerl (S. 42); Fendl, Josef: Die Sünchinger haben wunderbare Hilf erlangt (S. 44); Hotter, Hans: Der Kreitmaier-Prozeß (S. 46); Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, Franz: Das Sünchinger Schloß (S. 51); Reichl, Josef, Die Sünchinger Kirchen (S. 57); Fendl, Josef: Die Brandkatastrophe von 1859 (S. 59); Fendl, Josef: Die Sünchinger Völkchen im vorigen Jahrhundert (S. 61); Fendl, Josef: Aus der Schulgeschichte Sünchings (S. 62); Jende, Herbert: Geschichtliche Entwicklung der Postanstalt Sünching (S. 68); Zeitler, Walther: Sünching war einmal Eisenbahnknotenpunkt (S. 71); Reichl, Josef: Sünchinger Flurnamen (S. 75); Hermes, Karl: Sünching (S. 79); Fendl, Josef: Die Sünchinger Wappen (S. 95); Zölch, Willi: Wußten Sie, dass ... (S. 96); Frank, Georg: Heimat Sünching (S. 98

Molecular Toxicology of Substances Released from Resin–Based Dental Restorative Materials

Resin-based dental restorative materials are extensively used today in dentistry. However, significant concerns still remain regarding their biocompatibility. For this reason, significant scientific effort has been focused on the determination of the molecular toxicology of substances released by these biomaterials, using several tools for risk assessment, including exposure assessment, hazard identification and dose-response analysis. These studies have shown that substances released by these materials can cause significant cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, leading to irreversible disturbance of basic cellular functions. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge related to dental composites’ molecular toxicology and to give implications for possible improvements concerning their biocompatibility

Pedant: A Certifying DQBF Solver

Pedant is a solver for Dependency Quantified Boolean Formulas (DQBF) that combines propositional definition extraction with Counterexample-Guided Inductive Synthesis (CEGIS) to compute a model of a given formula. Pedant 2 improves upon an earlier version in several ways. We extend the notion of dependencies by allowing existential variables to depend on other existential variables. This leads to more and smaller definitions, as well as more concise repairs for counterexamples. Additionally, we reduce counterexamples by determining minimal separators in a conflict graph, and use decision tree learning to obtain default functions for undetermined variables. An experimental evaluation on standard benchmarks showed a significant increase in the number of solved instances compared to the previous version of our solver

Editorial – eine leser/innen/orientierte Einführung

Hervorragend zu agieren, das heißt auf hohem Niveau, mit hoher Qualität, kann nicht falsch sein. Trotzdem hängt ein Schatten über dem Begriff „Exzellenz“. Er ist elitär. Er ist formal. Er ist relativ. Denn was wäre, wenn alle mit hoher Qualität agierten? Dann gäbe es keine Exzellenz, weil sich alle auf dem gleichen oder ähnlichen, hohen Niveau befänden. Anders herum betrachtet: Exzellenz erfordert die Existenz vom Mitbewerbern, die nicht zur Erreichung hoher Qualität fähig sind. Wer ein Exzellenzkonzept verfolgt, nimmt nicht nur in Kauf, sondern baut geradezu darauf, dass auch Ergebnisse niedriger Qualität vorhanden bleiben. Soweit zur Ambivalenz des zentralen Begriffs, der dennoch bewusst als Thema der GMW 2012 gewählt wurde: Eben weil er als politische Realität (zumindest in Deutschland) die akademische Sphäre massiv beeinfl usst – um nicht zu sagen: beeinträchtigt. (DIPF/Orig.