Functional polypyrrole coatings for wirelessly controlled magnetic microrobots

A wirelessly controlled magnetic microrobot has been proposed to diagnose and treat pathologies in the posterior segment of the human eye. The robot consists of a magnetic CoNi platform with a conformal coating of functional polymers. Electrodeposition has been the preferred method to fabricate and to functionalize the microrobot. Poly(pyrrole), a widely studied intrinsically conductive polymer has been investigated as a biocompatible coating to reduce biofouling, and as a coating that can release incorporated drugs on demand. The mechanism of redox cycling has been investigated to reduce the stiction of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts onto poly(pyrrole) surfaces. To demonstrate triggered drug release, Rhodamine B has been incorporated into the Ppy matrix as a model drug. Rapid Rhodamine B release is obtained when eddy current losses are induced by alternating magnetic fields on the CoNi substrates underneath these films.

Studying changes in life circumstances and personality: It's about time

Most theories of personality development posit that changes in life circumstances (e.g. due to major life events) can lead to changes in personality, but few studies have examined the exact time course of these changes. In this article, we argue that time needs to be considered explicitly in theories and empirical studies on personality development. We discuss six notions on the role of time in personality development. First, people can differ before the event. Second, change can be non-linear and discontinuous. Third, change can be reversible. Fourth, change can occur before the event. Fifth, control groups are needed to disentangle age-related and event-related changes. Sixth, we need to move beyond examining single major life events and study the effects of non-normative events, non-events, multiple events, and minor events on personality. We conclude by summarizing the methodological and theoretical implications of these notions.

What drives adult personality development? A comparison of theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence

Increasing numbers of empirical studies provide compelling evidence that personality traits change across the entire lifespan. What initiates this continuing personality development and how does this development proceed? In this paper, we compare six theoretical perspectives that offer testable predictions about why personality develops the way it does and identify limitations and potentials of these perspectives by reviewing how they hold up against the empirical evidence. While all of these perspectives have received some empirical support, there is only little direct evidence for propositions put forward by the five-factor theory of personality and the theory of genotype→environment effects. In contrast, the neo-socioanalytic theory appears to offer a comprehensive framework that fits the empirical findings and allows the integration of other, more specialized, perspectives that focus on specific aspects of personality development like the role of time, systematic differences between categories of social roles or the active partake of the person himself or herself. We draw conclusions on the likely driving factors for adult personality development and identify avenues for future research.

Unterrichtsstörungen – ein multiperspektivischer Zugang

Das Verständnis vom Unterricht als Interaktionssystem (vgl. Breidenstein, 2010; Brophy & Good, 1976; Jackson, 1968; Mehan, 1998; Vanderstraeten, 2001), unterstreicht die Bedeutung der gegenseitigen Wahrnehmung von Unterrichtsstörungen für den Aufbau von sozialer Ordnung im Unterricht (vgl. Herzog, 2002, 2011; Kieserling, 1999, S. 110ff.; Luhmann, 1984; Vanderstraeten, 2001). Somit sind Unterrichtsstörungen nicht im Fehlverhalten einzelner Schülerinnen und Schüler zu verorten, sondern als Ergebnis einer unzulänglich funktionierenden Interaktionsbasis des Unterrichts zu verstehen. Dabei grenzen wir den Begriff der Unterrichtsstörung auf Störungen der sozialen Ordnung des Unterrichts ein. Unterrichtsstörungen können sich demgemäss in Form von Regelverletzungen, Schwatzen, Dazwischenrufen, Missachtung der Lehrerautorität, Rempeleien etc. äußern, wobei oft auch Disziplinprobleme miteingeschlossen werden (vgl. Nolting, 2002). Das Defizit der bisherigen Forschung, die entweder die Schüler- oder die Lehrerperspektive fokussierte (Woolfolk Hoy & Weinstein 2006, p. 206), wird im vorliegenden Beitrag durch einen multiperspektivischen Zugang, der beide Perspektiven einander gegenüberstellt, behoben. Dazu analysieren wir die Wahrnehmung von Unterrichtsstörungen aus der Sicht der Lehrpersonen sowie aus der Sicht der Schülerinnen und Schüler derselben Schulklassen. Die erste Fragestellung lautet daher, inwiefern sich die Wahrnehmung von Unterrichtsstörungen in Abhängigkeit vom Ausmaß der Störung zwischen der Lehrperson und ihren Schülerinnen und Schüler unterscheidet. Die zweite Fragestellung betrifft die Reaktion der Lehrkräfte auf Unterrichtsstörungen. Dabei untersuchen wir, wie weit die Wahrnehmung der Lehrerreaktionen auf Unterrichtsstörungen durch die Schülerinnen und Schüler mit der Selbstwahrnehmung der Lehrperson übereinstimmt. In methodischer Hinsicht verfolgt die Studie einen multimethodischen Ansatz, der sowohl quantitative als auch qualitative Daten zur Analyse der Forschungsfragen beizieht. Die Datenbasis der Analysen stammt aus einem Forschungsprojekt, das in fünf deutschsprachigen Kantonen der Schweiz durchgeführt wurde und zwei Phasen umfasste. In der ersten (quantitativen) Projektphase wurden Schülerinnen und Schüler (N = 4394) sowie deren Lehrpersonen (N = 225) der 5. Primarstufe mittels eines standardisierten Fragebogens befragt (Makarova, Schönbächler, & Herzog, 2008). Für die zweite (qualitative) Forschungsphase wurden 24 Klassen nach typologischen Kriterien ausgewählt. In diesen mittlerweile 6. Klassen gaben Schülerinnen und Schüler in Einzel- und Gruppeninterviews (N = 192) vertiefende Auskünfte zum Unterricht (Schönbächler, Makarova, & Herzog, 2009). Eine auf den Interviewanalysen beruhende Ergebniszusammenstellung wurde den Lehrpersonen (N = 20) der in der zweiten Forschungsphase beteiligten Klassen zur Stellungnahme vorgelegt (Makarova, Schönbächler, & Herzog, 2010). Im Hinblick auf die erste Fragestellung zeigen die Ergebnisse eine weitgehende Übereinstimmung von Lehrer- und Schülerperspektive bei der Wahrnehmung von Unterrichtsstörungen, und zwar sowohl in Klassen mit niedrigem als auch in solchen mit hohem Störausmaß. Unterschiede zwischen der Lehrer- und Schülerwahrnehmung zeigen sich jedoch bei der zweiten Fragestellung. Die Lehrkräfte der Klassen mit hohem Störausmaß beurteilen hierbei ihre Reaktion auf Unterrichtsstörungen weit vorteilhafter als ihre Schülerinnen und Schüler. Zudem legen unsere Ergebnisse eine semantische Instabilität des Begriffs Unterrichtsstörungen nahe, in dem sie eine unterschiedliche Bedeutung von Unterrichtsstörung in Klassen mit hohem und tiefem Störausmaß belegen. Insgesamt erweist sich die im vorliegenden Beitrag angewandte Multiperspektivität in der Erfassung von Unterrichtsstörungen als gewinnbringend, da dadurch die Komplexität der sozialen Situation des Unterrichts veranschaulicht werden kann.

Reporting standards for studies of diagnostic test accuracy in dementia: The STARDdem Initiative.

OBJECTIVE To provide guidance on standards for reporting studies of diagnostic test accuracy for dementia disorders. METHODS An international consensus process on reporting standards in dementia and cognitive impairment (STARDdem) was established, focusing on studies presenting data from which sensitivity and specificity were reported or could be derived. A working group led the initiative through 4 rounds of consensus work, using a modified Delphi process and culminating in a face-to-face consensus meeting in October 2012. The aim of this process was to agree on how best to supplement the generic standards of the STARD statement to enhance their utility and encourage their use in dementia research. RESULTS More than 200 comments were received during the wider consultation rounds. The areas at most risk of inadequate reporting were identified and a set of dementia-specific recommendations to supplement the STARD guidance were developed, including better reporting of patient selection, the reference standard used, avoidance of circularity, and reporting of test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION STARDdem is an implementation of the STARD statement in which the original checklist is elaborated and supplemented with guidance pertinent to studies of cognitive disorders. Its adoption is expected to increase transparency, enable more effective evaluation of diagnostic tests in Alzheimer disease and dementia, contribute to greater adherence to methodologic standards, and advance the development of Alzheimer biomarkers.

Decision-Making Processes in Voluntary Football Clubs in Relation to External Counselling

Introduction Recruiting and retaining volunteers who are prepared to make a long-term commitment is a major problem for Swiss sports clubs. With the inclusion of external counselling for the change and systematisation of volunteer management, sports clubs have a possibility to develop and defuse problems in spite of existing barriers and gaps in knowledge. To what extent is external counselling for personnel problems effective? It is often observed that standardised counselling inputs lead to varying consequences for sports clubs. It can be assumed that external impulses are interpreted and transformed differently into the workings of the club. However, this cannot be solely attributed to the situational or structural conditions of the clubs. It is also important to consider the underlying decision-making processes of a club. According to Luhmann’s organisational sociological considerations (2000), organisations (sports clubs) have to be viewed as social systems consisting of (communicated) decisions. This means that organisations are continually reproduced by decision-making processes. All other (observable) factors such as an organisation’s goals, recruiting strategies, support schemes for volunteers etc., have to be seen as an outcome of the operation of prior organisational decisions. Therefore: How do decision-making processes in sports clubs work in the context of the implementation of external counselling? Theoretical Framework An examination of the actual situation in sports clubs shows that decisions frequently appear to be shaped by inconsistency, unexpected outcomes, and randomness (Amis & Slack, 2003). Therefore, it must be emphasised that these decisions cannot be analysed according to any rational decision-making model. Their specific structural characteristics only permit a limited degree of rationality – bounded rationality. Non-profit organisations in particular are shaped by a specific mode of decisionmaking that Cohen, March, and Olsen (1972) have called the “garbage can model”. As sport clubs can also be conceived as “organised anarchies”, this model seems to offer an appropriate approach to understanding their practices and analysing their decision-making processes. The key concept in the garbage can model is the assumption that decision-making processes in organisations consist of four “streams”: (a) problems, (b) actors, (c) decision-making opportunities, and (d) solutions. Method Before presenting the method of the analysis of the decision-making processes in sports clubs, the external counselling will be described. The basis of the counselling is generated by a sports clubs’ capability to change. Due to the specific structural characteristics and organisational principles, change processes in sports clubs often merge with barriers and restrictions. These need to be considered when developing counselling guidelines for a successful planning and realisation of change processes. Furthermore, important aspects of personnel management in sports clubs and especially volunteer management must be implied in order to elaborate key elements for the counselling to recruit new volunteers (e.g., approach, expectations). A counselling of four system-counselling workshops was conceptualised by considering these specific characteristics. The decision-making processes in the sports clubs were analysed during the counselling and the implementation process. A case study is designed with the appropriate methodological approach for such explorative research. The approach adopted for these single case analyses was oriented toward the research program of behavioural decision-making theory (garbage can model). This posits that in-depth insights into organisational decision-making processes can only be gained through relevant case studies of existing organisational situations (Skille, 2013). Before, during and after the intervention, questionnaires and guided interviews were conducted with the project teams of the twelve par-ticipating football clubs to assess the different components of the “streams” in the context of external counselling. These interviews have been analysed using content analysis following guidelines as for-mulated by Mayring (2010). Results The findings show that decision-making processes in football clubs occur differently in the context of external counselling. Different initial positions and problems are the triggers for these decision-making processes. Furthermore, the implementation of the solutions and the external counselling is highly dependent on the commitment of certain people as central players within the decision-mak-ing process. The importance of these relationships is confirmed by previous findings in regard to decision-making and change processes in sports clubs. The decision-making processes in sports clubs can be theoretically analysed using behavioural decision-making theory and the “garbage can model”. Bounded rationality characterises all “streams” of the decision-making processes. Moreo-ver, the decision-making process of the football clubs can be well illustrated in the framework, and the interplay of the different dimensions illustrates the different decision-making practices within the football clubs. References Amis, J., & Slack, T. (2003). Analysing sports organisations: Theory and practice. In B. Houlihan (Eds.), Sport & Society (pp. 201–217). London, England: Sage. Cohen, M.D., March, J.G., & Olsen, J.P. (1972). A garbage can model of organisational choice. Ad-ministrative Science Quarterly, 17, 1-25. Luhmann, N. (2000). Organisation und Entscheidung. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag. Mayring, P. (2010). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken. Weinheim: Beltz. Skille, E. Å. (2013). Case study research in sport management: A reflection upon the theory of science and an empirical example. In S. Söderman & H. Dolles (Eds.), Handbook of research on sport and business (pp. 161–175). Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar.

Temperature Prediction Model for Bone Drilling Based on Density Distribution and In Vivo Experiments for Minimally Invasive Robotic Cochlear Implantation

Surgical robots have been proposed ex vivo to drill precise holes in the temporal bone for minimally invasive cochlear implantation. The main risk of the procedure is damage of the facial nerve due to mechanical interaction or due to temperature elevation during the drilling process. To evaluate the thermal risk of the drilling process, a simplified model is proposed which aims to enable an assessment of risk posed to the facial nerve for a given set of constant process parameters for different mastoid bone densities. The model uses the bone density distribution along the drilling trajectory in the mastoid bone to calculate a time dependent heat production function at the tip of the drill bit. Using a time dependent moving point source Green's function, the heat equation can be solved at a certain point in space so that the resulting temperatures can be calculated over time. The model was calibrated and initially verified with in vivo temperature data. The data was collected in minimally invasive robotic drilling of 12 holes in four different sheep. The sheep were anesthetized and the temperature elevations were measured with a thermocouple which was inserted in a previously drilled hole next to the planned drilling trajectory. Bone density distributions were extracted from pre-operative CT data by averaging Hounsfield values over the drill bit diameter. Post-operative [Formula: see text]CT data was used to verify the drilling accuracy of the trajectories. The comparison of measured and calculated temperatures shows a very good match for both heating and cooling phases. The average prediction error of the maximum temperature was less than 0.7 °C and the average root mean square error was approximately 0.5 °C. To analyze potential thermal damage, the model was used to calculate temperature profiles and cumulative equivalent minutes at 43 °C at a minimal distance to the facial nerve. For the selected drilling parameters, temperature elevation profiles and cumulative equivalent minutes suggest that thermal elevation of this minimally invasive cochlear implantation surgery may pose a risk to the facial nerve, especially in sclerotic or high density mastoid bones. Optimized drilling parameters need to be evaluated and the model could be used for future risk evaluation.

Global diversity, population stratification and selection of human copy number variation

In order to explore the diversity and selective signatures of duplication and deletion human copy number variants (CNVs), we sequenced 236 individuals from 125 distinct human populations. We observed that duplications exhibit fundamentally different population genetic and selective signatures than deletions and are more likely to be stratified between human populations. Through reconstruction of the ancestral human genome, we identify megabases of DNA lost in different human lineages and pinpoint large duplications that introgressed from the extinct Denisova lineage now found at high frequency exclusively in Oceanic populations. We find that the proportion of CNV base pairs to single nucleotide variant base pairs is greater among non-Africans than it is among African populations, but we conclude that this difference is likely due to unique aspects of non-African population history as opposed to differences in CNV load.

Lo Político frente a Lo Social : Una revisión crítica al pensamiento político posfundacional

El siguiente trabajo halla su núcleo en problematizar las imbricadas relaciones entre las dimensiones de lo político y lo social, en el cruce de la Teoría Social y Teoría Política. En primer lugar, propondremos una revisión de las concepciones de lo social involucradas en la perspectiva posfundacional de lo político propuesta por Oliver Marchart, que enfoca su ataque en la idea de un fundamento (último) de lo social. Allí, se analizarán los principales cuestionamientos al concepto de sociedad que suponen una visión normativista del orden social. En segundo lugar, buscaremos exponer la perspectiva sociológica de Luhmann que se halla en la tarea explicar la emergencia de lo social como una realidad en sí misma no reductible a otros ámbitos, entre ellos el normativo-cultural. Por último, se expondrá la posibilidad de revalorizar una concepción de lo social, que sin negar la especificidad de lo político, permita abordar sus condiciones de posibilidad

Lo Político frente a Lo Social : Una revisión crítica al pensamiento político posfundacional

El siguiente trabajo halla su núcleo en problematizar las imbricadas relaciones entre las dimensiones de lo político y lo social, en el cruce de la Teoría Social y Teoría Política. En primer lugar, propondremos una revisión de las concepciones de lo social involucradas en la perspectiva posfundacional de lo político propuesta por Oliver Marchart, que enfoca su ataque en la idea de un fundamento (último) de lo social. Allí, se analizarán los principales cuestionamientos al concepto de sociedad que suponen una visión normativista del orden social. En segundo lugar, buscaremos exponer la perspectiva sociológica de Luhmann que se halla en la tarea explicar la emergencia de lo social como una realidad en sí misma no reductible a otros ámbitos, entre ellos el normativo-cultural. Por último, se expondrá la posibilidad de revalorizar una concepción de lo social, que sin negar la especificidad de lo político, permita abordar sus condiciones de posibilidad

Lo Político frente a Lo Social : Una revisión crítica al pensamiento político posfundacional

El siguiente trabajo halla su núcleo en problematizar las imbricadas relaciones entre las dimensiones de lo político y lo social, en el cruce de la Teoría Social y Teoría Política. En primer lugar, propondremos una revisión de las concepciones de lo social involucradas en la perspectiva posfundacional de lo político propuesta por Oliver Marchart, que enfoca su ataque en la idea de un fundamento (último) de lo social. Allí, se analizarán los principales cuestionamientos al concepto de sociedad que suponen una visión normativista del orden social. En segundo lugar, buscaremos exponer la perspectiva sociológica de Luhmann que se halla en la tarea explicar la emergencia de lo social como una realidad en sí misma no reductible a otros ámbitos, entre ellos el normativo-cultural. Por último, se expondrá la posibilidad de revalorizar una concepción de lo social, que sin negar la especificidad de lo político, permita abordar sus condiciones de posibilidad