A higher level of complexity is possible by combining more than one idea as long as the order of the elements is readable in each built condition. Order is possible at any level of complexity. The more complex the greater the need of order. Order can be the relationship of a limited set of elements that inform and reform each other. / Master of Architecture

LSBT*-Personen unterscheiden sich häufig in gelebten Familien- und Partnerschaftskonzepten von der heteronormativen Idealvorstellung und weisen womöglich deshalb bedeutsame Differenzen in Bildungsabschlüssen, Löhnen und beruflichen Status verglichen zur heterosexuellen Cisbevölkerung auf. Mithilfe der gezielten Aufstockungsstichprobe von LSBT*-Personen des SOEP und der Onlinebefragung LGBielefeld analysiert die Dissertation die soziale Lage queerer Personen in der Intersektion von sozialer Herkunft, sexueller Orientierung und Geschlechtsidentität. LSB*-Cispersonen aus Arbeiter*innenklassen erreichen in Deutschland höhere Bildungstitel verglichen mit ihren heterosexuellen Pendants. Gemäß der ‚Queer Habitus‘ Hypothese führt das Begehren außerhalb der Heteronormativität zu einer Reflektion des Klassenhabitus und damit einer „Klassenflucht“ durch Bildung. Allerdings lohnen sich die höheren Bildungserrungenschaften finanziell weniger als für heterosexuelle Cispersonen, da LSB*-Cispersonen auf strukturelle Barrieren stoßen. Ambivalente Beziehungen zur Herkunftsfamilie und stärkere Bindungen zur Wahlfamilie bedeuten außerdem elternunabhängige Karrierewege. Das letzte empirische Kapitel präsentiert erstmalig gemeinsam den Gender Pay Gap und Sexual Orientation Wage Gap inkl. vielfältiger Geschlechter. LSBT*-Personen profitieren nicht von einer Eheschließung. Queere Paare organisieren Arbeit egalitärer, weshalb sie nicht wie heterosexuelle Cismänner auf die Übernahme von Fürsorge- und Hausarbeit der Ehefrauen zurückgreifen können und somit lediglich heterosexuelle Cismänner die Vorteile einer Heiratsprämie genießen. Gelebte Partnerschafts- und Familienverhältnisse jenseits heteronormativer Vorstellungen üben also einen bedeutenden Einfluss auf die soziale Lage aus. Vielmehr als Chancen zu erhöhen, legen die Analysen nahe, dass Dominanzverhältnisse und Vorteile abgebaut werden müssen, um Gleichstellung über rechtliche Veränderungen hinaus auch in die Realität zu übertragen. / LGBT* people often differ from the heteronormative ideals in their family and partnership concepts and may therefore differ substantially in terms of educational qualifications, wages and occupational status compared to the heterosexual cis-population. The dissertation analyzes the education and social destination of queer people in the intersection of social origin, sexual orientation and gender identity using the oversample of LGBT* people in the SOEP and by using the LGBielefeld online survey. LGB* cisgender people from working-class backgrounds achieve higher educational attainments in Germany compared to their heterosexual counterparts. According to the 'queer habitus' hypothesis, desire outside of heteronormativity can lead to a reflection of the class habitus and thus to "escape from home" through education. However, higher educational attainment is less financially rewarding than for heterosexual cisgender people, as LGB* cisgender people seem to face structural barriers. Ambivalent relationships to the family-of-origin and stronger ties to the family-of-choice also indicate career paths independent of parents. The final empirical chapter jointly presents the Gender Pay Gap and Sexual Orientation Wage Gap including gender diversity for the first time. LGBT* people do not benefit from marriage. Queer couples organize work in a more egalitarian way, which is why they cannot rely on their wives to take on care and housework like heterosexual cisgender husbands, which means that only heterosexual cisgender men enjoy the benefits of a marriage premium. Lived partnership and family relationships beyond heteronormative ideas therefore have a considerable impact on the social situation. Rather than increasing equal opportunities, the analyses suggest that dominance relations and advantages must be minimized in order to implement equality in everyday life beyond legal changes.

This magister's thesis explores the phenomenon of women's objectification within the context of the Gender Gap and Women's Underrepresentation in Anglo-American Analytical philosophical institutional environments. However, this approach goes beyond the Anglo-American philosophy, incorporating the "European-Continental" with the last thematizing this problem differently, which means historically. Unfolding Carol Bacchi's WPR method, Virginia Braun's, and Victoria Clarke's thematic analysis and thinking on feminist theoretical-philosophical accounts of objectification, I aim to critically analyze the proposed solutions in the literature, illuminating the root causes of that underrepresentation. And thus, this exploration leads to the differential vocation, with its gender, essential, and action implications.

Klimatkatastrofer, kriget i Israel-Gaza, upphävandet av aborträtt i USA och Rysslands invasionskrig i Ukraina är alla aktuella händelser som påverkar de mänskliga rättigheterna. Dessa händelser leder till samhällsfrågor som engagerar speciellt de yngre generationerna. Händelserna påverkar också varumärken och kan leda till etiska dilemman för konsumenter kring hur varumärken väljer att agera eller inte agera. Konsumenter förväntar sig att varumärken tar etiskt ansvar i samhälleliga och miljömässiga frågor. Genom att diskutera Brand Activism som en metod för att differentiera varumärken och locka kunder, samt analysera varumärkeslojalitetens roll i konsumentbeteendet, avslöjar studien komplexiteten i attityd-beteendegapet. Genom att identifiera forskningsgapet kring hur varumärkeslojalitet påverkar konsumentbeteende i etiska dilemman, syftar studien med en kvalitativ ansats till att fördjupa förståelsen fördetta samband. Detta leder till följande problemformulering: Hur påverkar stark varumärkeslojalitet gapet mellan attityd och beteende vid etiskadilemman? Studien fokuserar främst på varumärket Marabou och koncernen Mondelez som fortsattesin produktion i Ryssland under invasionskriget i Ukraina. Detta fick stor spridning isociala medier och skapade debatt kring varumärket gällande om det var rätt att fortsätta konsumera Marabous varor eller ej. För att besvara frågeställningen har data samlats in via intervjuer. Respondenterna till intervjuerna har valts ut via en urvalsenkät. Urvalsenkäten säkerställde att respondenterna tillhör Generation Z vilket är generationen som studien valt att undersöka. Både lojala och icke lojala konsumenter valdes ut för att möjliggöra att analysera skillnader och likheter i konsumentbeteende. Studiens resultat visar på att Generation Z tenderar att utveckla starka attityder kringetiska dilemman men att det inte tar lång tid för dessa attityder att minska om det fannsen etablerad varumärkeslojalitet sedan innan. Produktens attribut, framförallt pris ochkvalitet, betyder mer än attityden mot varumärket för generationen. Studien visar på attGeneration Z har ett stort utbud av information men att de inte tenderar att aktivt sökaefter information. Generationen värderar varumärkeslojalitet högt och kan fåkonsumenter att bortse från upplevelsen av etiska dilemman.

Switch mode power supplies are widely used in different applications. High efficiency and high power density are two driving forces for power supply systems. However, high dv/dt and di/dt in switch mode power supplies will cause severe EMI noise issue. In a typical front-end converter, the EMI filter usually occupies 1/3 to 1/4 volume of total converter. Hence, reducing the EMI noise of power converter can help reduce the volume of EMI filter and improving the total power density of the converter. The EMI noise can be separated as differential mode (DM) noise and common mode (CM) noise. For off-line switch mode power supplies, DM noise is dominated by PFC converter. CM noise is a more complicated issue. It is contributed by both PFC converter and DC/DC converter. The DM noise is contributed by input current ripple. Therefore, one method to reduce DM noise is interleaving. There are three methods to reduce CM noise: symmetry, balance and shielding. The idea of symmetry concept is generating another dv/dt source to cancel the original dv/dt source. However, this method is very difficult to achieve and usually has more loss. The balance technique forms a Wheatstone bridge circuit to minimize the CM noise. However, the balance technique cannot achieve very good attenuation at high frequency due to parasitics. Shielding technique is very popular in isolated DC-DC converters to reduce CM noise. However, the previous shielding method requires precise control of parasitic capacitance and dv/dt. It is very difficult to achieve good CM noise attenuation in mass production. In this dissertation, a novel one-layer shielding method for PCB winding transformer is provided. This shielding technique can block CM noise from primary side and also cancel the CM noise from secondary side. In addition, shielding does not increase the loss of converter too much. Furthermore, this shielding technique can be applied to matrix transformer structure. For matrix transformer LLC converter, the inter-winding capacitor is very large and will cause severe CM noise problem. By adding shielding layer, CM noise has been greatly reduced. Although flyback and LLC resonant converter are used as examples to demonstrate the concept, the novel shielding technique can also be applied to other topologies that have similar transformer structure. With Wide-band-gap power devices, the switching frequency of power converter can be pushed 10 times higher than traditional Si based converters. This provides an opportunity to use PCB winding magnetics. In order to reduce the switching loss, critical conduction mode is used in PFC converter. Because of high AC current in the inductor winding, litz wire was used to build the inductor. However, with coupled inductor concept and the proposed winding structure, CRM inductor is integrate into PCB winding for the first time. Furthermore, balance technique is applied to reduce CM noise for PFC converter. With PCB winding, the balance technique has better high frequency performance. The PCB winding inductor can achieve high power density, high efficiency and automated manufacture. Traditionally, two-stage EMI filter was utilized to achieve required EMI noise attenuation. With the developed high frequency, low EMI noise converter, single-stage EMI filter can be applied. However, there are self-parasitic and mutual parasitic components to impact the filter performance on high frequency. The near-field measurement is utilized to visualize the magnetic flux near those filter components. Thus, a better filter design and layout can be achieved to have better high frequency performance. / Ph. D. / Switch mode power supplies are widely used in different applications. High efficiency and high power density are two driving forces for power supply systems. In a world full of electronic devices, it is very important that these devices can work properly in a complicated electromagnetic environment. Thus, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is a significant characteristic of electronic devices. However, high dv/dt and di/dt in switch mode power supplies will cause severe EMI noise issue. In a typical front-end converter, the EMI filter usually occupies 1/3 to 1/4 volume of total converter. Hence, reducing the EMI noise of power converter can help reduce the volume of EMI filter and improving the total power density of the converter. In this dissertation, several methods to reduce EMI noise are proposed and analyzed. First, the shielding method for PCB winding transformer is proposed. It can effectively reduce EMI noise at wide frequency range. Second, balance technique is applied to reduce EMI noise of PFC converter. Traditionally, two-stage EMI filter was utilized to achieve required EMI noise attenuation. With the developed high frequency, low EMI noise converter, single-stage EMI filter can be applied. However, there are self-parasitic and mutual parasitic components to impact the filter performance on high frequency. The near-field measurement is utilized to visualize the magnetic flux near those filter components. Thus, a better filter design and layout can be achieved to have better high frequency performance.

The prevalence of inactivity remains high, with more than 80 percent of adults failing to meet physical activity guidelines. Numerous evidence-based interventions for physical activity promotion have been developed and tested to address this need, but are typically not scaled-up and sustained in the intended practice setting. Many of these physical activity promotion programs suggest community-based delivery, often requiring researchers to train delivery personnel on intervention components. However, there is a paucity of detail on for whom, under what conditions, and how training mechanism are effective in practice. The purpose of this research was to explore the questions related to the research, theory, and practice of training. For research, a mixed-methods exploration of delivery personnel characteristics and perceived barriers and facilitators before and after program delivery or non-delivery was conducted. For theory, a systematic review of physical activity trainings for community-based delivery personnel was conducted in the literature to determine the characteristics of those who were trained, the structural and mechanistic components of said trainings, and the effectiveness of these trainings. For practice, a case-study of existing training in a community based setting was conducted to determine training processes that are likely to be successful in the real world and to evaluate the feasibility of an observational tool for physical activity trainings. The results of this dissertation show that delivery personnel characteristics and skillset may impact the acceptability, appropriateness, and effectiveness of training. They also provide preliminary support for the inclusion and importance of peer support within physical activity trainings to increase the number and representativeness of people trained and increase comfort with the training material. Further, descriptions of training for in-person physical activity programs in community settings are vague and inadequate making them difficult to replicate. Taken together, these studies provide avenues for future research and practice to develop an evidence-base for training mechanisms. / Ph. D. / The prevalence of inactivity remains high, with more than 80 percent of adults failing to meet physical activity guidelines. Numerous evidence-based interventions for physical activity promotion have been developed and tested to address this need, but are typically not scaled-up and sustained in the intended practice setting. Many of these physical activity promotion programs suggest community-based delivery, often requiring researchers to train delivery personnel on intervention components. However, there is a paucity of detail on for whom, under what conditions, and how training mechanism are effective in practice. The purpose of this research was to explore the questions related to the research, theory, and practice of training. For research, a mixed-methods exploration of delivery personnel characteristics and perceived barriers and facilitators before and after program delivery or non-delivery was conducted. For theory, a systematic review of physical activity trainings for community-based delivery personnel was conducted in the literature to determine the characteristics of those who were trained, the structural and mechanistic components of said trainings, and the effectiveness of these trainings. For practice, a case-study of existing training in a community based setting was conducted to determine training processes that are likely to be successful in the real world and to evaluate the feasibility of an observational tool for physical activity trainings. The results of this dissertation show that delivery personnel characteristics and skillset may impact the acceptability, appropriateness, and effectiveness of training. They also provide preliminary support for the inclusion and importance of peer support within physical activity trainings to increase the number and representativeness of people trained and increase comfort with the training material. Further, descriptions of training for in-person physical activity programs in community settings are vague and inadequate making them difficult to replicate. Taken together, these studies provide avenues for future research and practice to develop an evidence-base for training mechanisms.

Yes / Since the 1980's, changes in nursing education have inadvertently led to diminishing anatomy and physiology content in curricula (Taylor et al., 2015). The need for nurses to have a thorough grounding in these subjects is undisputed; however, the pedagogical principles for anatomy and physiology education have been under scrutiny (Perkins, 2019). Anatomy and physiology are typically incorporated as part of bioscience, which also encompasses genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology (Horiuchi-Hirose et al., 2023). Registered nurses and nursing students often express anxiety about studying bioscience and its perceived difficulty, largely due to difficulties in applying theory to practice (Craft et al., 2013, Craft et al., 2017, Meedya et al., 2019). Despite this, there remains a recognition that bioscience knowledge is important for effective nursing practice (Danielson and Berntsson, 2007, Horiuchi-Hirose et al., 2023). / The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 15 Dec 2024.

Cells interact with their immediate fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM); alignment of which has been shown influence metastasis. Specifically, intra-vital imaging studies on cell invasion from tumor-matrix interface and wounds along aligned fibers describe invasion to occur as singular leader (tip) cells, or as collective mass of a few chain or multiple tip cells. Recapitulation of these behaviors in vitro promises to provide new insights in how, when and where cells get the stimulus to break cell-cell junctions and ensue invasion by migrating along aligned tracks. Using Spinneret based Tunable Engineered Parameters (STEP) technique, we fabricated precise layout of suspended fibers of varying diameters (300, 500 and 1000 nm) mimicking ECM dimensions, which were interfaced with cell monolayers to study invasion. We demonstrated that nanofiber diameter and their spacing were key determinants in cells to invade either as singularly, chains of few cells or multiple-chains collectively. Through time-lapse microscopy, we reported that singular cells exhibited a peculiar invasive behavior of recoiling analogous to release of a stretched rubber band; detachment speed of which was influenced with fiber diameter (250, 425 and 400 µm/hr on small, medium and large diameter fibers respectively). We found that cells initiated invasion by putting protrusion on fibers; dynamics of which we captured using a contrasting network of mismatched diameters deposited orthogonally. We found that vimentin, a key intermediate filament upregulated in cancer invasion localized within a protrusion only when the protrusion had widened at the base, signifying maturation. To develop a comprehensive picture of invasion, we also developed strategies to quantify migratory speeds and the forces exerted by cells on fibers. Finally, we extended our findings of cell invasion to report a new wound healing assay to examine gap closure. We found that gaps spanned by crosshatch network of fibers closed faster than those on parallel fibers and importantly, we reported that gaps of 375 µm or larger did not close over a 45-day period. In summary, the methods and novel findings detailed from this study can be extended to ask multiple sophisticated hypotheses in physiologically relevant phenomenon like wound healing, morphogenesis, and cancer metastasis. / Ph. D. / Disease phenomenon like cancer invasion and wound healing have a myriad of things in common including cell migration and the ability of cells to remodel their immediate environment. Often times these singular or group migratory events of cells are initiated and directed by peculiar cells called tip/leader cells that explore cellular environment and make room for migration. While research in the last few decades has yielded a tremendous wealth of information as to how biochemical factors influence their behavior, our understanding of how the biophysical properties of the environment affect their behavior is in its infancy. This lack of understanding can somewhat be attributed to the difficulty in fabricating mechanically welldefined substrate systems that can be tailored to recapture these invasive episodes in a controlled setting outside of a living organism. In this study, we utilize a novel Spinneret based Tunable Engineered Parameters (STEP) technique to fabricate mechanically tunable nanofibers that show close resemble to native cellular environment. Cells were made to interact with these fibers and it was shown for the first time that factors like fiber spacing, diameter and topography can significantly affect the types of leader cells and their trajectory. Furthermore, once these cells come out of the simulated tumors/wounds, their migratory behaviors were still affected by mechanical properties of the fibers. Similarly, we also showed for the first time that the ability of the gaps to close in simulated wound healing settings could be significantly dependent on size, shape, and properties of fibers. These findings offer a novel outlook to our current understanding of single and collective cell behavior and how the biophysical properties of the native cellular environment can affect these behaviors. This can not only expand our understanding of how this invasive episodes occur, but also help us come up with preventive measures to inhibit such episodes for a better prognosis of diseases like cancer and chronic wounds.

Gap junctions, comprised of connexin proteins, are essential for direct intercellular electrical, metabolic, and immunological coupling. Connexin43 (Cx43, gene name GJA1) is the most ubiquitously expressed gap junction protein, and Cx43 gap junctions are altered in pathological states including cardiac disease and cancer. The GJA1 mRNA undergoes alternative translation initiation to yield a truncated Cx43 isoform, GJA1-20k, that can regulate gap junction formation. Using epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a cellular model of gap junction remodeling, we have demonstrated altered translation initiation of Gja1 as a mechanism by which cellular Cx43 gap junctions can be dynamically regulated. Suppression of Gja1 alternative translation is necessary for Cx43 gap junction loss, and stable expression of GJA1-20k rescues gap junction formation during EMT. To identify regulatory factors acting on the Gja1 mRNA, an MS2 RNA aptamer tagging system was adapted to isolate Gja1 with associated RNA binding proteins. We find the RNA binding protein IMP1 is sensitive to hypoxic stress and complexes with Gja1 mRNA, where it is necessary for alternative translation to generate GJA1-20k. We have demonstrated alterations in translation initiation of the Gja1 mRNA as a critical mechanism by which cells modulate Cx43 gap junctional coupling in changing conditions and identified a novel regulator of this process in mammalian cells. / Doctor of Philosophy / Communication between cells is necessary for healthy function of organs throughout the body. Gap junctions form conduits through which signals can pass directly between neighboring cells. Many diseases, including cancer and heart disease, involve disturbances in gap junction communication. Connexin proteins are the building blocks of gap junctions, and it was recently demonstrated that smaller fragments of connexins are synthesized by cells by a poorly understood process called alternative translation. Importantly, levels of these connexins fragments can alter gap junction formation. We have used mammalian cells to delineate the mechanism by which this alternative protein translation regulates gap junction formation and generated insight into how such protein synthesis is dynamically regulated. Harnessing this knowledge will inform development of new therapeutics inducing alternative translation to rescue gap junctions, and restore normal communication in pathological conditions.

Kardiovaskuläre Erkrankungen in Deutschland führen die Todesursachenstatistik an (19,1 % 2013) und verursachen die höchsten Krankheitskosten (14,5 % 2008) (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2015a,b). Im Rahmen von ischämischen Ereignissen am Herzen kann es zu Rhythmusstörungen kommen. In der Therapie dieser Störungen werden traditionell klassische Antiarrhythmika mit Wirkort Ionenkanal eingesetzt, welche jedoch stets ein proarrhythmisches Potenzial aufweisen. Im Fokus der Forschung der letzten Jahre stehen deswegen Peptide wie AAP10 (Antiarrhythmisches Peptid 10), welche direkt an den Gap Junctions ansetzen. In Radioligandenbindungsstudien konnte gezeigt werden, dass Desipramin AAP10 von seinem Rezeptor verdrängen kann. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Einfluss von Desipramin auf die Gap Junction-Leitfähigkeit in adulten humanen atrialen Kardiomyozyten bestimmt (Jozwiak 2012). Die Bestimmung der Leitfähigkeit erfolgte durch die Technik des Double-Cell-Voltage-Clamp. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Desipramin die elektrische Kopplung in humanen Kardiomyozyten, welche vorab durch CO2-induzierte Azidose partiell entkoppelt wurden, erhöht. Weiterhin wurde in der Mapping-Analyse mit dem Langendorff-System gezeigt, dass Desipramin in ischämischen Gebieten am ganzen Kaninchenherzen eine Reduktion der Homogenität und eine Steigerung der Dispersion verhindern kann. In anschließend hergestellten Western Blots aus Gewebeproben derselben Kaninchenherzen ließ sich eine verminderte Dephosphorylierung von Connexin 43 in ischämischen Gebieten unter Desipramin nachweisen. Ebenso vermag Desipramin eine Lateralisierung des Connexin 43 entlang der Zellmembran zu verhindern. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Desipramin die Wahrscheinlichkeit für das Auftreten von Herzrhythmusstörungen unter ischämischen Bedingungen signifikant verringern und damit möglicherweise zur Senkung der Morbidität und Mortalität von Herzkreislauferkrankungen beitragen kann.