Transdisziplinäre Forschung weiterentwicklen: Eine Synthese mit 15 Empfehlungen

Inter- und Transdisziplinarität erfährt in Lehre und Forschung heutzutage eine vielversprechende Entwicklung, nicht nur im Schweizer Hochschulsystem, sondern auch auf europäischer und globaler Ebene. Sollen die Probleme unserer Zeit adäquat verstanden, analysiert und schliesslich gelöst werden, ist es unabdingbar, die disziplinären Kompetenzen in einen konstruktiven Austauschprozess und Dialog zu bringen. Die Behandlung unserer komplexen, menschlichen, sozialen, politischen und die Umwelt betreffenden Probleme drängt zunehmend auf die Durchlässigkeit des disziplinären Wissens und Wissenssystems. Dieses Buch richtet sich an all jene, die sich in ihrer täglichen Arbeit in Lehre, Forschung oder Studium mit komplexen Fragenstellungen beschäftigen und sich dabei nicht auf die Reduktion auf eine einzelne Disziplin beschränken können. Es zeigt den aktuellen Stand der inter- und transdisziplinären Lehre und Forschung in der Schweiz auf. Schwerpunkt liegt bei der Präsentation von erfolgreichen Projekten, ihren konzeptuellen, theoretischen und methodologischen Grundlagen sowie den daraus gewonnenen Erfahrungen.

Lessons for Science from the "Year without a Summer" of 1816. What does it take for science to respond to climate change?

Science is responding in manifold ways to current climate change. What are the perquisites for response, and how can we structure the response? By studying the historical climatic event “Year without a Summer” of 1816 and by relating to Fleck’s theory of genesis and development of a scientific fact, we posit that responding refers to making interlinkages between different notions of climatic change.

Impact of Antiviral Preventive Strategies on the Incidence and Outcomes of Cytomegalovirus Disease in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

We assessed the impact of antiviral prophylaxis and preemptive therapy on the incidence and outcomes of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in a nationwide prospective cohort of solid organ transplant recipients. Risk factors associated with CMV disease and graft failure-free survival were analyzed using Cox regression models. One thousand two hundred thirty-nine patients transplanted from May 2008 until March 2011 were included; 466 (38%) patients received CMV prophylaxis and 522 (42%) patients were managed preemptively. Overall incidence of CMV disease was 6.05% and was linked to CMV serostatus (D+/R− vs. R+, hazard ratio [HR] 5.36 [95% CI 3.14–9.14], p < 0.001). No difference in the incidence of CMV disease was observed in patients receiving antiviral prophylaxis as compared to the preemptive approach (HR 1.16 [95% CI 0.63–2.17], p = 0.63). CMV disease was not associated with a lower graft failure-free survival (HR 1.27 [95% CI 0.64–2.53], p = 0.50). Nevertheless, patients followed by the preemptive approach had an inferior graft failure-free survival after a median of 1.05 years of follow-up (HR 1.63 [95% CI 1.01–2.64], p = 0.044). The incidence of CMV disease in this cohort was low and not influenced by the preventive strategy used. However, patients on CMV prophylaxis were more likely to be free from graft failure.

Surface charge of polymer coated SPIONs influences the serum protein adsorption, colloidal stability and subsequent cell interaction in vitro

It is known that the nanoparticle-cell interaction strongly depends on the physicochemical properties of the investigated particles. In addition, medium density and viscosity influence the colloidal behaviour of nanoparticles. Here, we show how nanoparticle-protein interactions are related to the particular physicochemical characteristics of the particles, such as their colloidal stability, and how this significantly influences the subsequent nanoparticle-cell interaction in vitro. Therefore, different surface charged superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. Similar adsorbed protein profiles were identified following incubation in supplemented cell culture media, although cellular uptake varied significantly between the different particles. However, positively charged nanoparticles displayed a significantly lower colloidal stability than neutral and negatively charged particles while showing higher non-sedimentation driven cell-internalization in vitro without any significant cytotoxic effects. The results of this study strongly indicate therefore that an understanding of the aggregation state of NPs in biological fluids is crucial in regards to their biological interaction(s).

Philologos Kosmos. Kleine Schriften zur antiken Literatur, Naturwissenschaft, Philosophie und Religion

Aufsatzsammlung zum 80. Geb. des Autors