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Obgleich ein Großteil der Promovierten in Deutschland erfolgreich einen Karriereweg außerhalb der Wissenschaft wählt, stößt diese Entscheidung auf ambivalente Reaktionen seitens Universität und Arbeitsmarkt. Für die oftmals kritische Übergangsphase zwischen Promotion und außerakademischer Berufstätigkeit können hochschulische Supportstrukturen eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Die vorliegende Studie liefert – anknüpfend an aktuelle öffentliche Diskussionen – neben Einblicken zur Employability von Promovierten diverse Implikationen für die Identifikation von universitären Unterstützungsbedarfen, die den Abbau von strukturellen und persönlichen Hürden befördern.

Eine der zentralen Herausforderungen der Hochschullehre ist die zunehmende Heterogenität der Studierenden. Didaktische Designs unter Einbindung digitaler Technologien können die Umsetzung eines studierendenzentrierten und an den individuellen Voraussetzungen und Bedürfnissen orientierten flexiblen Lernens ermöglichen. An der Universität Oldenburg wurde in zwei Semestern die Lehre in einem Modul des Studiengangs Erziehungs- und Bildungswissenschaften nach den Prinzipien des Inverted Classroom Models (ICM) umgestellt und unter Zugrundelegung des Konzepts der individuellen Lernpfade weiterentwickelt. Die Ergebnisse aus der praktischen Umsetzung verweisen auf Gelingensbedingungen auf der Ebene der Lernenden, der Lehrenden sowie auf der gesamtorganisatorischen Ebene.

In this article, we analyse the processes that contribute to changes in career aspirations among German PhD graduates. Drawing on the concept of cooling out (Goffman 1952; Clark 1960) - which describes semi-intentional practices that can cause a gradual decline in educational or career aspirations -- the paper expands on this by distinguishing between formal and informal processes that contribute to graduates deciding to abandon an academic career path. To explore the phenomenon, we employ a qualitative interview study with 21 PhD graduates from different academic disciplines, all of whom have chosen careers outside the academic realm at different biographical stages - often voluntarily, but occasionally involuntarily. The aim of the study is to paint a more differentiated and empirically underpinned picture of typical cooling out constellations in academia. We conclude by discussing the implications for creating effective PhD support in transition phases.

The problem: Ante-mortem diagnosis of Johne’s disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is normally achieved through faecal culture, PCR, or serological tests, but agreement as to which samples are positive for Johne’s disease is often poor and sensitivities are low, particularly in early-stage infections. The potential solution: Mycobacterial cells contain very complex characteristic mixtures of mycolic acid derivatives that elicit antibodies during infection; this has been used to detect infections in humans. Here, we explore its application in providing an assay differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA assay) for Johne’s disease in cattle. Method: Antibody responses to different classes of mycolic acid derivatives were measured using ELISA for serum from cattle positive for MAP by both faecal PCR and commercial serum ELISA, or just by PCR, and from animals from herds with no history of Johne’s disease, bovine tuberculosis reactors, BCG-vaccinated, BCG-vaccinated and M. bovis-infected, and Gudair-vaccinated animals. Results: The best-performing antigens, ZAM295 and ST123—the latter a molecule present in the cells of MAP but not of Mycobacterium bovis—achieved a sensitivity of 75% and 62.5%, respectively, for serum from animals positive by both faecal PCR and a commercial MAP serum ELISA, at a specificity of 94% compared to 80 no-history negatives. Combining the results of separate assays with two antigens (ST123 and JRRR121) increased the sensitivity/specificity to 75/97.5%. At the same cut-offs, animals vaccinated with Gudair or BCG vaccines and bTB reactors showed a similar specificity. The specificity in BCG-vaccinated but M. bovis-infected animals dropped to 85%. Combining the results of two antigens gave a sensitivity/specificity of 37.5/97.5% for the full set of 80 PCR-positive samples, detecting 30 positives compared 16 for IDEXX. Conclusion: Serum ELISA using synthetic lipids distinguishes effectively between MAP-negative cattle samples and those positive by both PCR and a commercial MAP serodiagnostic, without interference by Gudair or BCG vaccination. It identified almost twice as many PCR positives as the commercial serodiagnostic, offering the possibility of earlier detection of infection.

Summary Here, we describe the development of a method that exploits bacteriophage D29 as a lysis agent for efficient DNA extraction from low numbers of mycobacterial cells. This method (Actiphage®) used in combination with PCR achieved rapid and sensitive (LOD ≤ 10 cell ml−1) detection and identification of viable, pathogenic mycobacteria in blood samples within 6 h. We demonstrate that mycobacteriophage D29 can be used to detect a range of mycobacteria from clinical blood samples including both Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis without the need for culture and confirms our earlier observations that a low‐level bacteraemia is associated with these infections in cattle. In a study of M. bovis‐infected cattle (n = 41), the sensitivity of the Actiphage® method was 95 % (95 % CI; 0.84–0.99) and specificity was 100 % (95% CI; 0.92–1). We further used Actiphage® to demonstrate viable Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is present in the blood of Johne’s infected cattle. This method provides a revolutionary new tool for the study of infections caused by these difficult to grow pathogens.

Despite its potential for early diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection, the IFN-γ release assay is not used routinely, because of low specificity of the established crude antigen preparation Johnin (PPDj). Limited data are available assessing the potential of MAP-derived protein and lipopeptide antigens to replace PPDj in assays for goats, while cattle and sheep have been studied more extensively. Furthermore, MAP infection is claimed to interfere with the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis when other crude antigen preparations (PPDb, PPDa) are applied. In this study, the diagnostic potential of MAP-derived recombinant protein antigens, synthetic MAP lipopentapeptides and of Mycobacterium bovis-specific peptide cocktails was assessed compared to crude mycobacterial antigen preparations in experimentally infected goats. Goats were inoculated with MAP, or Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) as surrogate for environmental mycobacteria, non-exposed animals served as controls. Mycobacterium avium Complex-specific antibody and PPDj-induced IFN-γ responses were monitored in vivo. Infection status was assessed by pathomorphological findings and bacteriological tissue culture at necropsy 1 year after inoculation. The IFN-γ response to 13 recombinant protein antigens of MAP, two synthetic MAP lipopentapeptides and three recombinant peptide cocktails of Mycobacterium bovis was investigated at three defined time points after infection. At necropsy, MAP or MAH infection was confirmed in all inoculated goats, no signs of infection were found in the controls. Antibody formation was first detected 3–6 weeks post infection (wpi) in MAH-inoculated and 11–14 wpi in the MAP-inoculated goats. Maximum PPDj-induced IFN-γ levels in MAH and MAP exposed animals were recorded 3–6 and 23–26 wpi, respectively. Positive responses continued with large individual variation. Antigens Map 0210c, Map 1693c, Map 2020, Map 3651cT(it), and Map 3651c stimulated increased whole blood IFN-γ levels in several MAP-inoculated goats compared to MAH inoculated and control animals. These IFN-γ levels correlated with the intensity of the PPDj-induced responses. The two synthetic lipopentapeptides and the other MAP-derived protein antigens had no discriminatory potential. Stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis peptide cocktails ESAT6-CFP10, Rv3020c, and Rv3615c did not elicit IFN-γ production. Further work is required to investigate if test sensitivity will increase when mixtures of the MAP-derived protein antigens are applied.

A fordításban Valerie Huggins és John Siraj - Blatchford (2014) a Plymouth-i Egyetem kutatói által írt, a fenntartható fejlődésre nevelésre vonatkozó tanulmánya jelenik meg. A tanulmány a fenntartható fejlődésre nevelést nemzetközi együttműködési keretekben jeleníti meg. Megfogalmazódnak a globális gondolkodásról és lokális cselekvésről eszme alapgondolatai, a fenntartható fejlődést szolgáló oktatásról szóló elképzelések és a kulturális cseréről és a tapasztalatok megosztásáról szóló alapelemek, melyek mindenki javát szolgálnák.

À partir de l’étude de deux cas, cet article interroge la place qui est accordée aux équipes d’animation — et donc à l’animation proposée — aujourd’hui dans les établissements pour personnes âgées. Dans le cadre d’une analyse organisationnelle, il montre comment l’animation (ou les équipes d’animation) n’existe ainsi pas in abstracto, mais est prise dans un système d’action, et qu’elle ne peut être comprise qu’au regard de celui dans lequel l’ensemble des acteurs de ces institutions prend place. Il montre, en creux, comment ces institutions informent ou façonnent les territoires de vie des résident-e-s.

This article focuses on the increasing presence of market-oriented organisations in the field of home care and home-health care for older people in French-speaking Switzerland. The international literature on the subject shows a growing orientation towards market-type practices in the area of care for dependent older people in many European countries; this trend appears to be enhanced by measures such as personal budgets aimed at increasing the buying power of care users. In Switzerland, our hypothesis is rather that policies do not provide a dense enough level of service for the elderly in the areas of home care and help for domestic tasks, and that gaps in service open up a window of opportunity for market-oriented, for-profit organisations. The private market for home care and home-health care in French-speaking Switzerland then develops on the basis of this first foothold, helped along by liberal public policies about providers in the field of care covered by health insurance, as well as in the area of employment legislation.