Organisationale Selbststeuerung in deutschen Universitäten : Bedingungen, Prozesse und Wirkungen

Die Regulierung und Steuerung von Hochschulen unterliegt spätestens seit der Liberalisierung des Hochschulrahmengesetzes im Jahr 1998 einer erheblichen Reformdynamik. Hochschulautonomie, New Public Management, Profilbildung, Exzellenz und Wettbewerb sind zentrale Stichworte im Rahmen der durchgeführten politischen Reformen und Programme.rnDer politisch intendierte Ausbau einer organisationalen Selbststeuerung von Universitäten stellt die Hochschulen vor beachtliche Herausforderungen und kann als Paradigmenwechsel im Bereich der Hochschul-Governance betrachtet werden. In der Fachdiskussion wird der entsprechende Wandel auch als Stärkung der „managerial governance“ (bspw. de Boer et al. 2007) oder als Wandel von Universitäten hin zu „more complete organizations“ (Brunsson/ Sahlin-Andersson 2000) bzw. „organisational actors“ (Krücken/Meier 2006) beschrieben. rnGleichzeitig liegt bislang eher fragmentarisches Wissen darüber vor, wie der veränderte Re-gulierungskontext von den Steuerungsakteuren in deutschen Hochschulen aufgegriffen wird, d.h. ob auf Organisationsebene tatsächlich ein Ausbau der organisationalen Selbststeuerung stattfindet, welche Steuerungsinitiativen und -instrumente sich bewähren und warum dies der Fall ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit geht diesen Fragen im Rahmen einer vergleichenden Fallstudie an sechs Universitäten nach. rnIm Zentrum der empirischen Erhebung stehen 60 qualitative sozialwissenschaftliche Interviews mit Leitungsakteuren auf Hochschul- und Fachbereichsebene. Diese Daten werden ergänzt durch umfangreiche Dokumentenanalysen, insbesondere von Jahresberichten, Grundordnungen, Strategie- und Planungsdokumenten sowie durch Daten der amtlichen Hochschul-statistik. Das Untersuchungsdesign erlaubt überdies eine Gegenüberstellung von großen und kleinen Universitäten sowie von Hochschulen mit einer technisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Ausrichtung gegenüber solchen mit einem kultur- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Schwerpunkt. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass an fünf der sechs untersuchten Hochschulen ein zum Teil deutlicher Ausbau der organisationalen Selbststeuerung festzustellen ist, wenngleich der spezifische organisationale Charakter von Universitäten, d.h. eine weitgehend lose Kopplung mit autonomen Professionals, im Wesentlichen erhalten bleibt. Die Zusammenschau der Veränderungen ergibt ein idealtypisches Modell des Wandels von Strategie, Struktur und Kultur der Hochschulen. Auf Basis der empirischen Ergebnisse werden weiterhin zentrale externe und interne Einflussfaktoren auf den spezifischen organisationalen Wandel analysiert. Schließlich werden Kosten und Nutzen sowie Risiken und Chancen der Governance-Reformen im Hoch-schulbereich gegenübergestellt.

Modelling and simulating in systems biology: an approach based on multi-agent systems

Systems Biology is an innovative way of doing biology recently raised in bio-informatics contexts, characterised by the study of biological systems as complex systems with a strong focus on the system level and on the interaction dimension. In other words, the objective is to understand biological systems as a whole, putting on the foreground not only the study of the individual parts as standalone parts, but also of their interaction and of the global properties that emerge at the system level by means of the interaction among the parts. This thesis focuses on the adoption of multi-agent systems (MAS) as a suitable paradigm for Systems Biology, for developing models and simulation of complex biological systems. Multi-agent system have been recently introduced in informatics context as a suitabe paradigm for modelling and engineering complex systems. Roughly speaking, a MAS can be conceived as a set of autonomous and interacting entities, called agents, situated in some kind of nvironment, where they fruitfully interact and coordinate so as to obtain a coherent global system behaviour. The claim of this work is that the general properties of MAS make them an effective approach for modelling and building simulations of complex biological systems, following the methodological principles identified by Systems Biology. In particular, the thesis focuses on cell populations as biological systems. In order to support the claim, the thesis introduces and describes (i) a MAS-based model conceived for modelling the dynamics of systems of cells interacting inside cell environment called niches. (ii) a computational tool, developed for implementing the models and executing the simulations. The tool is meant to work as a kind of virtual laboratory, on top of which kinds of virtual experiments can be performed, characterised by the definition and execution of specific models implemented as MASs, so as to support the validation, falsification and improvement of the models through the observation and analysis of the simulations. A hematopoietic stem cell system is taken as reference case study for formulating a specific model and executing virtual experiments.

Controlled wetting on silica-based nano- and microstructured surfaces

Der Fokus dieser Doktorarbeit liegt auf der kontrollierten Benetzung von festen Oberflächen, die in vielen Bereichen, wie zum Beispiel in der Mikrofluidik, für Beschichtungen und in biologischen Studien von Zellen oder Bakterien, von großer Bedeutung ist.rnDer erste Teil dieser Arbeit widmet sich der Frage, wie Nanorauigkeit das Benetzungsverhalten, d.h. die Kontaktwinkel und die Pinningstärke, von hydrophoben und superhydrophoben Beschichtungen beeinflusst. Hierfür wird eine neue Methode entwickelt, um eine nanoraue Silika-Beschichtung über die Gasphase auf eine superhydrophobe Oberfläche, die aus rauen Polystyrol-Silika-Kern-Schale-Partikeln besteht, aufzubringen. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Topographie und Dichte der Nanorauigkeiten bestimmt, ob sich die Superhydrophobizität verringert oder erhöht, d.h. ob sich ein Flüssigkeitstropfen im Nano-Wenzel- oder Nano-Cassie-Zustand befindet. Das verstärkte Pinning im Nano-Wenzel-Zustand beruht auf dem Eindringen von Flüssigkeitsmolekülen in die Nanoporen der Beschichtung. Im Nano-Cassie-Zustand dagegen sitzt der Tropfen auf den Nanorauigkeiten, was das Pinning vermindert. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse werden mit molekulardynamischen Simulationen in Bezug gesetzt, die den Einfluss der Oberflächenbeschichtungsdichte und der Länge von fluorinierten Silanen auf die Hydrophobizität einer Oberfläche untersuchen. rnEs wurden bereits verschiedenste Techniken zur Herstellung von transparenten superhydrophoben, d.h. extrem flüssigkeitsabweisenden, Oberflächen entwickelt. Eine aktuelle Herausforderung liegt darin, Funktionalitäten einzuführen, ohne die superhydrophoben Eigenschaften einer Oberfläche zu verändern. Dies ist extrem anspruchsvoll, da funktionelle Gruppen in der Regel hydrophil sind. In dieser Arbeit wird eine innovative Methode zur Herstellung von transparenten superhydrophoben Oberflächen aus Janus-Mikrosäulen mit variierenden Dimensionen und Topographien entwickelt. Die Janus-Säulen haben hydrophobe Seitenwände und hydrophile Silika-Oberseiten, die anschließend selektiv und ohne Verlust der superhydrophoben Eigenschaften der Oberfläche funktionalisiert werden können. Diese selektive Oberflächenfunktionalisierung wird mittels konfokaler Mikroskopie und durch das chemische Anbinden von fluoreszenten Molekülen an die Säulenoberseiten sichtbar gemacht. Außerdem wird gezeigt, dass das Benetzungsverhalten durch Wechselwirkungen zwischen Flüssigkeit und Festkörper in der Nähe der Benetzungslinie bestimmt wird. Diese Beobachtung widerlegt das allgemein akzeptierte Modell von Cassie und Baxter und beinhaltet, dass hydrophile Flächen, die durch mechanischen Abrieb freigelegt werden, nicht zu einem Verlust der Superhydrophobizität führen müssen, wie allgemein angenommen.rnBenetzung kann auch durch eine räumliche Beschränkung von Flüssigkeiten kontrolliert werden, z.B. in mikrofluidischen Systemen. Hier wird eine modifizierte Stöber-Synthese verwendet, um künstliche und natürliche Faser-Template mit einer Silika-Schicht zu ummanteln. Nach der thermischen Zersetzung des organischen Templat-Materials entstehen wohldefinierte Silika-Kanäle und Kanalkreuzungen mit gleichmäßigen Durchmessern im Nano- und Mikrometerbereich. Auf Grund ihrer Transparenz, mechanischen Stabilität und des großen Länge-zu-Durchmesser-Verhältnisses sind die Kanäle sehr gut geeignet, um die Füllgeschwindigkeiten von Flüssigkeiten mit variierenden Oberflächenspannungen und Viskositäten zu untersuchen. Konfokale Mikroskopie ermöglicht es hierbei, die Füllgeschwindigkeiten über eine Länge von mehreren Millimetern, sowie direkt am Kanaleingang zu messen. Das späte Füllstadium kann sehr gut mit der Lucas-Washburn-Gleichung beschrieben werden. Die anfänglichen Füllgeschwindigkeiten sind jedoch niedriger als theoretisch vorhergesagt. Wohingegen die vorhergehenden Abschnitte dieser Arbeit sich mit der quasistatischen Benetzung beschäftigen, spielt hier die Dynamik der Benetzung eine wichtige Rolle. Tatsächlich lassen sich die beobachteten Abweichungen durch einen geschwindigkeitsabhängigen Fortschreitkontaktwinkel erklären und durch dynamische Benetzungstheorien modellieren. Somit löst diese Arbeit das seit langem diskutierte Problem der Abweichungen von der Lucas-Washburn-Gleichung bei kleinen Füllgeschwindigkeiten.

Family satisfaction with critical care: measurements and messages

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Family satisfaction in the ICU reflects the extent to which perceived needs and expectations of family members of critically ill patients are met by healthcare professionals. Here, we present recently developed tools to assess family satisfaction, with a special focus on their psychometric properties. Assessing family satisfaction, however, is not of much use if it is not followed by interpretation of the results and, if needed, consecutive measures to improve care of the patients and their families, or improvement in communication and decision-making. Accordingly, this review will outline recent findings in this field. Finally, possible areas of future research are addressed. RECENT FINDINGS: To assess family satisfaction in the ICU, several domains deserve attention. They include, among others, care of the patient, counseling and emotional support of family members, information and decision-making. Overall, communication between physicians or nurses and members of the family remains a key topic, and there are many opportunities to improve. They include not only communication style, timing and appropriate wording but also, for example, assessments to see if information was adequately received and also understood. Whether unfulfilled needs of individual members of the family or of the family as a social system result in negative long-term sequels remains an open question. SUMMARY: Assessing and analyzing family satisfaction in the ICU ultimately will support healthcare professionals in their continuing effort to improve care of critically ill patients and their families.

Prioritising prevention strategies for patients in antiretroviral treatment programmes in resource-limited settings

Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) offers opportunities to strengthen HIV prevention in resource-limited settings. We invited 27 ART programmes from urban settings in Africa, Asia and South America to participate in a survey, with the aim to examine what preventive services had been integrated in ART programmes. Twenty-two programmes participated; eight (36%) from South Africa, two from Brazil, two from Zambia and one each from Argentina, India, Thailand, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Morocco, Uganda and Zimbabwe and one occupational programme of a brewery company included five countries (Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi). Twenty-one sites (96%) provided health education and social support, and 18 (82%) provided HIV testing and counselling. All sites encouraged disclosure of HIV infection to spouses and partners, but only 11 (50%) had a protocol for partner notification. Twenty-one sites (96%) supplied male condoms, seven (32%) female condoms and 20 (91%) provided prophylactic ART for the prevention of mother-to child transmission. Seven sites (33%) regularly screened for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Twelve sites (55%) were involved in activities aimed at women or adolescents, and 10 sites (46%) in activities aimed at serodiscordant couples. Stigma and discrimination, gender roles and funding constraints were perceived as the main obstacles to effective prevention in ART programmes. We conclude that preventive services in ART programmes in lower income countries focus on health education and the provision of social support and male condoms. Strategies that might be equally or more important in this setting, including partner notification, prompt diagnosis and treatment of STI and reduction of stigma in the community, have not been implemented widely.

Attacks on German public figures, 1968-2004: warning behaviors, potentially lethal and non-lethal acts, psychiatric status, and motivations

Fourteen non-terrorist attackers of public figures in Germany between 1968 and 2004 were intensively studied, with a particular focus on warning behaviors, attack behaviors, and the relationship between psychiatric diagnosis, symptoms, and motivations for the assault. A large proportion of the attackers were severely mentally ill, and most likely to be in the potentially lethal rather than the non-lethal group. A new typology of seven warning behaviors was applied to the data, and all were present, most frequently fixation and pathway warning behavior, and least frequently a direct threat. Psychiatric diagnosis could be closely linked to motivation when analyzed at the level of symptom and content of thought, often delusional. Most of the attacks were directed at political figures, and the majority occurred after 1995.

The effects of PTK787/ZK222584, an inhibitor of VEGFR and PDGFR? pathways, on intussusceptive angiogenesis and glomerular recovery from Thy1.1 nephritis

The aim of our study was to investigate the phenomenon of intussusceptive angiogenesis with a focus on its molecular regulation by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)/platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) pathways and biological significance for glomerular recovery after acute injury. Glomerular healing by intussusception was examined in a particular setting of Thy1.1 nephritis, where the lysis of mesangial cells results in an initial collapse and successive rebuilding of glomerular capillary structure. Restoration of capillary structure after induction of Thy1.1 nephritis occurred by intussusceptive angiogenesis resulting in i) rapid expansion of the capillary plexus with reinstatement of the glomerular filtration surface and ii) restoration of the archetypical glomerular vascular pattern. Glomerular capillaries of nephritic rats after combined VEGFR2 and PDGFRβ inhibition by PTK787/ZK222584 (PTK/ZK) were tortuous and irregular. However, the onset of intussusceptive angiogenesis was influenced only after long-term PTK/ZK treatment, providing an important insight into differential molecular regulation between sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis. PTK/ZK treatment abolished α-smooth muscle actin and tensin expression by injured mesangial cells, impaired glomerular filtration of microspheres, and led to the reduction of glomerular volume and the presence of multiple hemorrhages detectable in the tubular system. Collectively, treatment of nephritic patients with PTK/ZK compound is not recommended.

Mass Transport Perspective on an Accelerated Exclusion Process: Analysis of Augmented Current and Unit-Velocity Phases

In an accelerated exclusion process (AEP), each particle can "hop" to its adjacent site if empty as well as "kick" the frontmost particle when joining a cluster of size ℓ⩽ℓ_{max}. With various choices of the interaction range, ℓ_{max}, we find that the steady state of AEP can be found in a homogeneous phase with augmented currents (AC) or a segregated phase with holes moving at unit velocity (UV). Here we present a detailed study on the emergence of the novel phases, from two perspectives: the AEP and a mass transport process (MTP). In the latter picture, the system in the UV phase is composed of a condensate in coexistence with a fluid, while the transition from AC to UV can be regarded as condensation. Using Monte Carlo simulations, exact results for special cases, and analytic methods in a mean field approach (within the MTP), we focus on steady state currents and cluster sizes. Excellent agreement between data and theory is found, providing an insightful picture for understanding this model system.

A Framework for the Automation of Discrete-Event Simulation Experiments

Simulation is an important resource for researchers in diverse fields. However, many researchers have found flaws in the methodology of published simulation studies and have described the state of the simulation community as being in a crisis of credibility. This work describes the project of the Simulation Automation Framework for Experiments (SAFE), which addresses the issues that undermine credibility by automating the workflow in the execution of simulation studies. Automation reduces the number of opportunities for users to introduce error in the scientific process thereby improvingthe credibility of the final results. Automation also eases the job of simulation users and allows them to focus on the design of models and the analysis of results rather than on the complexities of the workflow.

The Effects of Emotions and Distraction on Attention During a Perceptual Task

According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, positive emotions broaden while negative emotions narrow thought-action repertoires. These processes reflect changes in attentional scope, which is the focus of this research. The present study tested the hypothesis that participants in negative mood would be better able to focus on a target figure and separate it from its context in a perceptual task, and would also be better able to focus on the task amid a distracting environment than participants in a positive mood. An undergraduate sample of 77 participants watched video clips selected to induce either fear or amusement, and completed an Embedded Figures Test either in a quiet setting or in a noisy setting. A higher-order ANOVA revealed that Mood had a marginally significant effect on task performance, F(1, 73) = 3.94, p = .051, and that Distraction, F(1, 72) = 4.61, p = .035 and the Mood x Distraction interaction, F(1, 73) = 9.12, p = .003 did significantly affect task performance. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the effect of the distraction manipulation was greater for participants in a negative mood than it was for participants in a positive mood. The author suggests future directions to clarify the relationship between emotions, attentional scope, and susceptibility to environmental distraction.

Chances and risks of publication of quality data - the perspectives of Swiss physicians and nurses

Background The release of quality data from acute care hospitals to the general public is based on the aim to inform the public, to provide transparency and to foster quality-based competition among providers. Due to the expected mechanisms of action and possibly the adverse consequences of public quality comparison, it is a controversial topic. The perspective of physicians and nurses is of particular importance in this context. They are mainly responsible for the collection of quality-control data, and are directly confronted with the results of public comparison. The research focus of this qualitative study was to discover what the views and opinions of the Swiss physicians and nurses were regarding these issues. It was investigated as to how the two professional groups appraised the opportunities as well as the risks of the release of quality data in Switzerland. Methods A qualitative approach was chosen to answer the research question. For data collection, four focus groups were conducted with physicians and nurses who were employed in Swiss acute care hospitals. Qualitative content analysis was applied to the data. Results The results revealed that both occupational groups had a very critical and negative attitude regarding the recent developments. The perceived risks were dominating their view. In summary, their main concerns were: the reduction of complexity, the one-sided focus on measurable quality variables, risk selection, the threat of data manipulation and the abuse of published information by the media. An additional concern was that the impression is given that the complex construct of quality can be reduced to a few key figures, and it that it is constructed from a false message which then influences society and politics. This critical attitude is associated with the different value system and the professional self-concept that both physicians and nurses have, in comparison to the underlying principles of a market-based economy and the economic orientation of health care business. Conclusions The critical and negative attitude of Swiss physicians and nurses must, under all conditions, be heeded to and investigated regarding its impact on work motivation and identification with the profession. At the same time, the two professional groups are obligated to reflect upon their critical attitude and take a proactive role in the development of appropriate quality indicators for the publication of quality data in Switzerland.

A global ”imaging” view on systems approaches in immunology

The immune system exhibits an enormous complexity. High throughput methods such as the "-omic'' technologies generate vast amounts of data that facilitate dissection of immunological processes at ever finer resolution. Using high-resolution data-driven systems analysis, causal relationships between complex molecular processes and particular immunological phenotypes can be constructed. However, processes in tissues, organs, and the organism itself (so-called higher level processes) also control and regulate the molecular (lower level) processes. Reverse systems engineering approaches, which focus on the examination of the structure, dynamics and control of the immune system, can help to understand the construction principles of the immune system. Such integrative mechanistic models can properly describe, explain, and predict the behavior of the immune system in health and disease by combining both higher and lower level processes. Moving from molecular and cellular levels to a multiscale systems understanding requires the development of methodologies that integrate data from different biological levels into multiscale mechanistic models. In particular, 3D imaging techniques and 4D modeling of the spatiotemporal dynamics of immune processes within lymphoid tissues are central for such integrative approaches. Both dynamic and global organ imaging technologies will be instrumental in facilitating comprehensive multiscale systems immunology analyses as discussed in this review.

Catheter-based treatment of ilio-femoral deep vein thrombosis - an update on current evidence

Ilio-femoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has a high rate of long-term morbidity in the form of the postthrombotic syndrome (PTS). Therefore, management of acute thrombosis should not only focus on the prevention of acute complications such as propagation or embolisation of the initial clot but also on preventing PTS and recurrent thrombosis. Contemporary catheter-based treatments of deep vein thrombosis have proven to be safe and effective in selected patients. Current guidelines recommend medical therapy with anticoagulation alone for all but the most severe, limb-threatening thrombosis. They additionally allow for consideration of catheter-based treatment in patients with acute DVT and low risk of bleeding complications to prevent PTS. Recent studies favoring interventional therapy have not been included in these guidelines. Data on long-term outcome is expected to be published soon, clarifying and very likely strengthening the role of catheter-based treatments in the management of acute ilio-femoral DVT.

Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Lao PDR Between 2000 and 2009 Based on an Analysis of MODIS Time Series and Landsat Images

The rotational nature of shifting cultivation poses several challenges to its detection by remote sensing. Consequently, there is a lack of spatial data on the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes on a regional, i.e. sub-national, or national level. We present an approach based on a time series of Landsat and MODIS data and landscape metrics to delineate the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes. Our results reveal that shifting cultivation is a land use system still widely and dynamically utilized in northern Laos. While there is an overall reduction in the areas dominated by shifting cultivation, some regions also show an expansion. A review of relevant reports and articles indicates that policies tend to lead to a reduction while market forces can result in both expansion and reduction. For a better understanding of the different factors affecting shifting cultivation landscapes in Laos, further research should focus on spatially explicit analyses.

Inhibition of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Blockade of cytokines, particularly of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), in immuno-inflammatory diseases, has led to the greatest advances in medicine of recent years. We did a thorough review of the literature with a focus on inflammation models in rodents on modified gene expression or bioactivity for IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, and we summarized the results of randomized controlled clinical trials in human disease. What we have learned herewith is that important information can be achieved by the use of animal models in complex, immune-mediated diseases. However, a clear ranking for putative therapeutic targets appears difficult to obtain from an experimental approach alone. This is primarily due to the fact that none of the disease models has proven to cover more than one crucial pathogenetic aspect of the complex cascade of events leading to characteristic clinical disease signs and symptoms. This supports the notion that the addressed human immune-mediated diseases are polygenic and the summation of genetic, perhaps epigenetic, and environmental factors. Nevertheless, it has become apparent, so far, that TNF-alpha is of crucial importance in the development of antigen-dependent and antigen-independent models of inflammation, and that these results correlate well with clinical success. With some delay, clinical trials in conditions having some relationship with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) indicate new opportunities for blocking IL-1 or IL-6 therapeutically. It appears, therefore, that a translational approach with critical, mutual reflection of simultaneously performed experiments and clinical trials is important for rapid identification of new targets and development of novel treatment options in complex, immune-mediated, inflammatory diseases.