Jacobs University Research Articles

Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology: Klaus Boehnke.

The Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology is given to individuals who have made sustained and enduring contributions to international cooperation and the advancement of knowledge in psychology. The 2022 recipient of the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology was selected by the 2021 Committee on International Relations in Psychology. The committee is pleased to present the 2022 APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology to Klaus Boehnke. Dr. Boehnke is a professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany, and deputy head of the Center for Sociocultural Research at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russian Federation. He has lived and worked at universities in Singapore, Australia, and Canada, in addition to his native Germany. His scholarship has included substantial contributions in political psychology, peace psychology, the psychology of youth, and innovative methodologies and frameworks for cross-national studies. He works with partners and colleagues around the world. Dr. Boehnke has been instrumental in creating and serving in institutions and organizations that promote cooperation across borders. He has served on boards and as advisor to multiple international groups and committees, including as president of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, one of the most internationally diverse psychological associations worldwide. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Vegetal Sex: Philosophy of Plants by Stella Sandford

Reviewed by: Vegetal Sex: Philosophy of Plants by Stella Sandford Joela Jacobs Stella Sandford. Vegetal Sex: Philosophy of Plants. London: Bloomsbury, 2022. Pp. 256. As a work of plant philosophy that is invested in botany, Stella Sandford's Vegetal Sex examines the zoocentrism in current models of plant sex to arrive at more precise, phytocentric concepts. In doing so, the clearly written book touches on sexuality and gender but is primarily concerned with sex, to respond to the question of what "female" and "male" do and do not mean in plants. Beginning with a chapter on plant philosophy as a method, Sandford defines this kind of work against current plant advocacy texts, perhaps sometimes taking those other publications to task a bit too much for their anthropocentric metaphors, since—by definition—they serve a science communication purpose that differs from the precise philosophical conceptualization she pursues in her own work. And indeed, Sandford's book fills an important gap for botanists, plant scientists, plant philosophers, and anyone working in critical plant studies, as well as for scholars of the history of science and gender studies—if they are interested in terminology regarding plants, not humans, and bring some botanical reproduction knowledge to help them along. By mapping major moments of thought and discovery from Aristotle—via Grew, Camerarius, and Linnaeus—to the fascinating work of David G. Lloyd in the late twentieth century, Sandford elucidates both the history and the science of plant sex in the subsequent five chapters. She emphasizes how much the understanding of plants has been guided by analogies to animal sex to this day and in which ways this analogy is inaccurate. In doing so, Sandford shows the lasting centrality of Aristotle for the conceptualization of plant sex and emphasizes the importance of philosophy for botany as a field. While Sandford's impressive interdisciplinary knowledge and carefully scaffolded, logical steps demonstrate the significance of these claims for plant philosophy, for a scholar of literature and culture like me the strict dismissal of metaphors and of the sociocultural realm occasionally seems to limit the argument to being only about what plant sex is not or should not be called, instead of what it has been and is, precisely because of the language and terminology people have been using. While poetic language and cultural practice are of course not what the book sets out to engage, the turn to Indigenous knowledge and feminism in the final chapter troubles the sometimes artificially upheld distinctions of the monograph's prior theorizations in productive ways and shows what is at stake for Sandford herself. As these final pages expand the question of plant sex from the strict sense of the previous chapters, they engage with cultural contexts and metaphors like the "mother tree," and they break away from the overwhelmingly white, male perspective with which Western philosophy is otherwise suffused. Especially in the epilogue, Sandford's exciting own conceptual constructions of vegetal sex begin to emerge, which I hope will be pursued further. Joela Jacobs University of Arizona Copyright © 2023 L'Esprit Créateur

Impact of COVID-19 on Initial Management and Evaluation of Prostate Cancer

The COVID-19 pandemic starkly affected all aspects of health care, forcing many to divert resources towards emergent patient needs while decreasing emphasis on routine cancer care. We compared prostate cancer care before and during the pandemic in a multi-institutional cohort. A prospective regional collaborative was queried to assess practice pattern variations relative to the initial COVID-19 lockdown (March 16 to May 15, 2020). The preceding 10 months were selected for comparison. The impact of the lockdown was evaluated on the basis of 1) weekly trends in biopsy and radical prostatectomy volumes, 2) comparisons between those undergoing prostate biopsy, and 3) clinicopathological characteristics within radical prostatectomy patients. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact and Pearson's chi-square tests, and Wilcoxon rank sum test to evaluate continuous covariates. Overall, there was a 55% and 39% decline in biopsy and prostatectomy volumes, respectively. During the pandemic, biopsy patients were younger with fewer COVID-19 severity risk factors (17.0% vs 9.7% no risk factors, p=0.023) and prostatectomy patients had higher grade group (GG; 45.6% >GG 4 vs 28%, p=0.01). Large variation in the change in procedural volume was noted across practice sites. In a multi-institutional assessment of surgical and diagnostic delay for prostate cancer, we found a non-uniform decline in procedural volume across sites. Future analyses within this cohort are needed to further discern the effects of care delays related to COVID-19.

Reply by Authors.

No AccessUrology PracticeHealth Policy1 Nov 2021Reply by Authorsis a reply to letterEditorial Commentary Adrien N. Bernstein, Ruchika Talwar, Elizabeth Handorf, Kaynaat Syed, John Danella, Serge Ginzburg, Laurence Belkoff, Adam C. Reese, Jeffery Tomaszewski, Edouard Trabulsi, Bruce Jacobs, Eric A. Singer, Jay Raman, Marc Smaldone, Robert Uzzo, Thomas Guzzo, and Andres Correa Adrien N. BernsteinAdrien N. Bernstein *Correspondence: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111 telephone: 215-728-3513; E-mail Address: [email protected] Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Ruchika TalwarRuchika Talwar University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Elizabeth HandorfElizabeth Handorf Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Financial and/or other relationship with NCCN, Pfizer, Eli Lily and National Institutes of Health. More articles by this author , Kaynaat SyedKaynaat Syed Health Care Improvement Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , John DanellaJohn Danella Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Serge GinzburgSerge Ginzburg Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Laurence BelkoffLaurence Belkoff MidLantic Urology/Main Line Health, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Adam C. ReeseAdam C. Reese Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Jeffery TomaszewskiJeffery Tomaszewski Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey More articles by this author , Edouard TrabulsiEdouard Trabulsi Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Financial and/or other relationship with Pfizer, Janssen, Astellas and GenomeDx. More articles by this author , Bruce JacobsBruce Jacobs University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Financial and/or other relationship with Shadyside Hospital Foundation and National Institutes of Health. More articles by this author , Eric A. SingerEric A. Singer Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey Financial and/or other relationship with Astellas and Medivation. More articles by this author , Jay RamanJay Raman Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania Financial and/or other relationship with Urogen, Steba and Boston Scientific. More articles by this author , Marc SmaldoneMarc Smaldone Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Robert UzzoRobert Uzzo Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , Thomas GuzzoThomas Guzzo University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author , and Andres CorreaAndres Correa Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000261.02AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "Reply by Authors." Urology Practice, 8(6), p. 675

Preface

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I am pleased to present the Proceeding of the 5th International Conference on Computing and Applied Informatics (ICCAI). The event, organized by The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, is the 5th of the conference series. In this proceeding, we present 49 outstanding works from authors from 6 different countries. With the acceptance rate of 59%, we are confident that these manuscripts are able to fulfill the high standard of an international conference. These works have been through a though review process by our international board and editorial team and has been revised accordingly. Our highest appreciation to every author that has been participated in this event and has collaborated tirelessly with our editorial team to meet the high standard that we expect in this conference.This event is one of our many efforts to establish our faculty as a reputable education institution internationally. As part of Universitas Sumatera Utara, who recently just listed in the QS World University Rankings, we are obligated to contribute to the global research effort to develop the society. However, over the past few months, the pandemic limits our interaction significantly. Conducting an international conference while maintaining the quality of the event can be challenging. Thus, we have decided to perform this event both on-site and online and set up a few new rules to preserve the quality we have been established in the previous conferences. I am pleased to inform you that The 5th ICCAI has met the requirement of a high quality international event.I would also like to appreciate the keynote speakers that have presented their best work in the conference: Prof. Dr.-Ing Hendro Wicaksono from Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Germany; Prof. Matthew N. Dailey from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; and Prof. Gyun Woo from Pusan National University, South Korea. Their contribution has become a valuable insight for the future research.Lastly, I would like to give my highest gratitude to all the international committee, the steering committee, and the organizing committee, who have spent countless times to support this conference. It is my privilege to work alongside the current committees that have repeatedly shown an outstanding effort to make this event possible.Thank youDr. Eng. Ade CandraChair of The 5th ICCAI 2021Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universitas Sumatera UtaraEmail: ade_candra@usu.ac.idList of Committees are available in this pdf.

Cell scientist to watch – Binyam Mogessie

Binyam Mogessie was born and raised in Ethiopia. He moved to Germany in 2004, where he studied biochemistry and cell biology at Jacobs University Bremen. He then moved to the UK for his PhD with Anne Straube, first at the Marie Curie Research Institute in Surrey and later at the Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology in Warwick, where he investigated the cellular mechanisms that organise the microtubule cytoskeleton during skeletal muscle differentiation. After receiving his PhD in cell biology from the University of London, he joined the laboratory of Melina Schuh in 2012 as a postdoc at the MRC-LMB in Cambridge (and later at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany), where he discovered a function of the actin cytoskeleton in accurate chromosome segregation and the prevention of aneuploidy in mammalian eggs. Binyam established his independent research laboratory at the University of Bristol, School of Biochemistry in 2018, where he is a Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale fellow and HFSP Young Investigator. He also received a Seed Award from the Wellcome Trust and funding from the Rosetrees Trust and Royal Society. His lab is investigating actin- and microtubule-based cytoskeletal ensembles that promote healthy egg development and embryogenesis in mammals.

New stains for anterior capsule surgery

To investigate whether new dyes and dye combinations can give equivalent or better staining in anterior capsule surgery than existing dyes with a low degree of toxicity on relevant cells. University laboratory of Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. Laboratory experimental study. Pig eyes were collected post mortem. Cataract was induced by microwave irradiation. Access to the lens capsule was through open-sky surgery. Staining was performed and results were documented by photography. The toxicity of the dyes was evaluated in 3 different cell lines immediately after exposure and with a delay of 24hours, with exposure in the dark or subsequent strong illumination. A new cyanine dye, BIP (2-[5-[3,3-dimethyl-1-(4-sulfobutyl)-1,3-dihydro-indol-2-ylidene]-penta-1,3-dienyl]-3,3-dimethyl-1-(4-sulfobutyl)-3H-indolium sodium), was found to lead to green staining, with reduced toxicity on corneal endothelial cells. Staining could be further enhanced by combining it with trypan blue. Methylene blue was very toxic, whereas its combination with trypan blue was much less toxic. With BIP alone or in combination with trypan blue, safe staining of the capsule can be achieved, resulting in a green color.

MONITORING AND ANALYSIS OF THE TURBODETENTOR OPERATING SYSTEM FROM CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PLANT USING LABVIEW SOFTWARE.

30Jun 2016 MONITORING AND ANALYSIS OF THE TURBODETENTOR OPERATING SYSTEM FROM CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PLANT USING LABVIEW SOFTWARE. Carmen Maria Moraru , Iuliana Stefan , Ovidiu Balteanu , Ciprian Bucur , Nicolae Sofilca , Gabriel Ionescu , Maria Alexandra Retevoi , Florentina Enescu Department of Cryogenic Pilot Plant, National Institute of Research - Development for Cryogenic and Isotope Separation Technologies, ICSI-Rm.Valcea, Romania. Department of Automation and Industrial Informatics, Automation and Computer Faculty, University Polytechnic of Bucharest, Romania. Department of Computer Science, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany. Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University from Pitesti, Romania.

Room temperature quantum spin Hall states in two-dimensional crystals composed of pentagonal rings and their quantum wells

Quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators are a peculiar phase of matter exhibiting excellent quantum transport properties with potential applications in lower-power-consuming electronic devices. Currently, among all predicted or synthesized QSH insulators, square and hexagonal atomic rings are the dominant structural motifs, and QSH insulators composed of pentagonal rings have not yet been reported. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we predict a family of large-gap QSH insulators in SnX2 (X=S, Se, or Te) two-dimensional (2D) crystals by the direct calculation of Z2 topological invariants and edge states. Remarkably, in contrast to all known QSH insulators, the QSH insulators predicted here are composed entirely of pentagonal rings. Moreover, these systems can produce sizeable nontrivial gaps ranging from 121 to 224 meV, which is sufficiently large for practical applications at room temperature. Additionally, we propose a quantum well by sandwiching an SnTe2 2D crystal between two BiOBiS2 sheets and reveal that the considered 2D crystal remains topologically nontrivial with a sizeable gap. This finding demonstrates the robustness of its band topology against the effect of the substrate and provides a viable method for further experimental studies. A family of materials with exotic quantum properties ideal for low-power electronics has been predicted by an international team. Yandong Ma from Jacobs University Bremen in Germany and his colleagues have theoretically shown that two-dimensional materials made of tin and sulphur, selenium or tellurium can exist in an unusual state of matter known as a quantum spin Hall insulator. Such systems conduct electrical current around their edges but not in their centres, making them useful in electronics because they are robust against impurities and require only low applied voltages to control electron flow. Ma and the team used density functional theory calculations to show that such a state exists at room temperature in SnS2, SnSe2 and SnTe2; materials that, unlike previous quantum spin Hall insulators, have a pentagonal atomic structure. Currently, among all known quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators, square and hexagonal atomic rings are the dominant structural motifs, and QSH insulators composed of pentagonal rings have not yet been reported. Here, we propose a family of large-gap QSH insulators in the SnX2 (X=S, Se, Te) two-dimensional (2D) crystals (121–224 meV). Remarkably, different from all the known QSH insulators, the QSH insulators predicted here are composed entirely of pentagonal rings. Additionally, the considered 2D crystals retain their QSH properties in a quantum well obtained by sandwiching monolayers between two BiOBiS2 sheets, thus providing a viable way for further experimental studies.

Editorial report and acknowledgement of reviewers, 2015

Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2016, Vol. 4(1), 1–7, doi:10.5964/jspp.v4i1.623 Published (VoR): 2016-02-16. *Corresponding author at: Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany. E-mail: c.cohrs@jacobs-university.de This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

QED Reloaded: Towards a Pluralistic Formal Library of Mathematical Knowledge

Proposed in 1994, the ``QED project'' was one of the seminally influential initiatives in automated reasoning: It envisioned the formalization of ``all of mathematics'' and the assembly of these formalizations in a single coherent database. Even though it never led to the concrete system, communal resource, or even joint research envisioned in the QED manifesto, the idea lives on and shapes the research agendas of a significant part of the community This paper surveys a decade of work on representation languages and knowledge management tools for mathematical knowledge conducted in the KWARC research group at Jacobs University Bremen. It assembles the various research strands into a coherent agenda for realizing the QED dream with modern insights and technologies.

Attenuation of visual search deficits through complimentary tactile stimulation in low luminance environments: evidence from ERP and eye tracking analyses.

Event Abstract Back to Event Attenuation of visual search deficits through complimentary tactile stimulation in low luminance environments: evidence from ERP and eye tracking analyses. Mathew Hunter1*, Bettina Olk2 and Ben Godde1 1 Jacobs University, Germany 2 HSD Hochschule Döpfer, University of Applied Sciences, Germany Searching for a visual target among distractors is one of the most common yet complex tasks we are facing in our everyday lives. Despite the fact that our visual search mechanisms are quite adept, we are still subject to limitations of our visual processing which is particularly evident in environments of extremely low luminance (<0.5 cd/m2). Even with a thorough understanding of visual perception in low luminance environments, little is known regarding search processes within these conditions [1], and subsequently, the primary contributing factors to decreases in performance that are observed in these environments and if there are any mechanisms for attenuation. Hunter et al. [2] have provided contrast efficiency functions for simple visual search tasks within the low luminance spectrum, which specifically relate the cumulative effects of relative contrast luminance and the innate contrast of complex target stimuli to search performance. In an attempt to understand the mechanisms behind decreases in performance and how such decreases could be attenuated we have also demonstrated that different aspects of tactile stimulation, such as the predictive probability of a tactile stimulus, or type of tactile stimulation (spatial or frequency information regarding the location of a target), could be used to improve search performance and their fitting along an efficiency function [3]. We suggested a “gating window” providing the psychophysical boundaries pertaining to when in the visual search process tactile information can improve performance, and how this changes with respect to different tactile properties. We observed that coding of a tactile stimulus is only beneficial when a minimum mean response time of 500 ms is required in order to solve the task. The goal of the present study was to assess the neurophysiological mechanisms related to the reception of visual and complimentary tactile information and the visual scanning process. To this end we incorporated measurements of scan patterns (eye tracking) and of event related potentials (ERP). To isolate the temporal determinants of the “gating window”, we specifically focused on the early perceptual components that relate to the visual and tactile reception and integration spanning the first 500 ms of a trial. We targeted seven individual ERP components: P45, N80, P100, N140, N180, N2, and P300 and selected from the Fz, Cz, Pz, C3, C4, P3, P4, O1 and O2 electrodes. Eleven participants performed three different tactile-visual search (target present/absent) paradigms incorporating three different types of tactile encoding, i.e. frequency (20 Hz and 40 Hz stimulation), spatial (left vs right), and frequency and spatial, to provide information regarding the location of a target. We assessed in how far a given type of tactile stimulation was beneficial in improving visual search performance (adapted from [3]). Behavioural results replicated previous findings. The addition of a tactile stimulus designed to provide information about the target, improved performance (RT and d’) which is normally affected in low luminance environments; however, no differences were observed with respect to a specific tactile encoding type. Quantitative analyses of scan patterns measuring the number of saccades, fixation durations, search array dwell time and location were completed. Results revealed that the scan pattern variables were primarily influenced by tactile spatial coding (left vs right) with minimal effects observed in the frequency coding condition. The ERP results primarily implicated the N2 component at Fz, Cz and Pz electrodes as a contributing factor to performance demonstrated by a significant positive correlation with RT (0.87 p < 0.01) and a negative correlation (0.83 p < 0.01) for d’. More specifically, increased peak latencies reflected slower RTs and decreased performance. These correlations remained consistent independent of the type of tactile stimulation. With respect to scanning behavior, the N2 component over the C4 (0.75, p < 0.05) electrode correlated positively with the total number of fixations and negatively with the peak amplitude over the Cz electrode (Cz = -0.67, p < 0.005). The N2 component has been previously implicated in visual tactile cross-modal congruency paradigms [4], where incongruency reflects greater negative potential amplitudes. Consistent with our results, a greater incongruency or conflict would reflect poorer performance (slower RTs and poorer d’ score). Our results provide preliminary evidence with respect to the distinct integration gating component reported by Hunter et al. [3] and ultimately insight into the interactions of multi-sensory integration and performance. The individual components allowed verification of the gating, but more neural processing post this gating process that we did not examine with our study will contribute to response execution.

Evaluation of an Intercultural Peer Training for Incoming Undergraduate Students at an International University in Germany

University education is increasingly becoming international. Therefore, it is important that universities prepare their new students for the challenges of an intercultural academic environment. The aim of the current study was to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of an intercultural peer-to-peer training offered to all new incoming students at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. The training aims to facilitate the social and academic integration of students at this international university. A total of 117 first-year undergraduate students completed a pen-and-paper questionnaire with 47 items one semester (6 months) after attending the intercultural training. The results suggest that participants liked the structure of the training and the use of senior students as peer trainers. It appears that the training improved the awareness of the effects of culture (own and other) on the social life of students. However, the training was less adequate at preparing the participants for the student-centered academic culture at this university. In light of its cost-effectiveness, the intercultural training could be easily adopted for use at other universities as part of the campus-wide orientation activities. However, regardless of their culture, all new university students require more assistance to academically adapt to and succeed in multicultural classrooms.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

More female patients and fewer stimuli per session are associated with the short-term antidepressant properties of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS): a meta-analysis of 54 sham-controlled studies published between 1997-2013.

BackgroundRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) appears to have short-term antidepressant properties. The aim of the current study was to update our previous meta-analysis and to investigate factors associated with the antidepressant properties of rTMS.MethodFollowing a systematic literature search conducted in Medline and PsycInfo, N=14 sham-controlled, parallel design studies (published after 2008 to August 2013) that had utilized rTMS of the DLPFC in major depression were included in the current meta-analysis. The sensitivity and moderator analyses also included data from N=40 studies (published in 1997–2008) from our previous meta-analysis. The effect size (Cohen’s d) in each study was the standardized difference in mean depression scores (on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) from baseline to final (after last session) in rTMS compared to sham groups.ResultsAccording to a random-effects model with inverse-variance weights, depression scores were significantly reduced after rTMS compared to sham in studies published from 2008–2013 based on N=659 patients (overall mean weighted d=−0.42, 95% confidence interval: −0.66, −0.18, P=0.001). Combining studies from our past and current meta-analyses (published in 1997–2013; N=54) revealed that depression was significantly reduced after left-fast (>1 Hz), right-slow (≤1 Hz), and bilateral (or sequential) rTMS of DLPFC compared to sham. Significant antidepressant properties of rTMS were observed in studies with patients who were treatment resistant, unipolar (or bipolar), non-psychotic, medication-free (or started on antidepressants concurrently with rTMS). According to univariate meta-regressions, depression scores were significantly lower in studies with more female patients and fewer stimuli per session. There was little evidence that publication bias occurred in the analysis.ConclusionAccording to this study, the largest meta-analysis to date, short-term antidepressant properties of rTMS are independent of concurrent antidepressants and might depend on sex and the number of stimuli per session.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Correction: Nuclear Legumain Activity in Colorectal Cancer

A following funder was erroneously omitted:Jacobs University Bremen [2140/90140]. The correct financial disclosure is: This work has been generously supported by grants from South-East regional health authorities [HSO, #2011142], The Norwegian Research Council under the Functional Genomics Program [FUGE, #158954/S10], Soren and Jeanette Bothners legacy and the Norwegian Cancer Society [#PR-2006-0272], Jacobs University Bremen [2140/90140], Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) [A/11/95548], The University of Oslo, Anders Jahres foundation for the Promotion of Science, Astrid and Birger Torsteds Foundation, and the Nansen Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Integrating International Students into Tertiary Education Using Intercultural Peer-to-peer Training at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany

Increasing internationalization of higher education raises the question of how well institutions prepare their students to integrate into and benefit from cultural diversity on any university campus. The aim of this study was to assess an intercultural peer-to-peer training at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany, that aims to facilitate the integration of incoming students into the multicultural environment of this international university. The individual experience of eight undergraduate students was explored using qualitative in-depth interviews. The results suggest that motivation to participate and satisfaction with the training were highest among students with some intercultural experience compared to students with extensive or little intercultural experience. All students supported the overall training format and the peer-trainer scheme. It seems that the training has adequately addressed the issues related to the general social life on the multicultural campus. However, it should focus more specifically on the learning model used and learning-related expectations at Jacobs University Bremen. In conclusion, the current study provides the first qualitative evaluation of an intercultural peer-to-peer training that could be utilized at other educational institutions in Germany and beyond as a method of linking culture-related issues to academic and social life of new students.

The Challenge of Being Small: Compound Eye Miniaturization in Lepidoptera

Event Abstract Back to Event The Challenge of Being Small: Compound Eye Miniaturization in Lepidoptera Stefan Fischer1*, Carsten H. Müller2 and Benno Meyer-Rochow1 1 Jacobs University Bremen, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Germany 2 Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Department Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, Germany In spite of the numerous studies on insect compound eyes within the last 100 years, the number of investigations specifically dealing with the eyes of species of small body size is near to negligible. Based on theoretical optical examinations it had been predicted that an unlimited reduction in the size of a compound eye, especially if the latter was of the superposition type, was not possible; a suggestion that begged the question as to how the tiniest insects might then deal with the postulated restrictions. To demonstrate that optical and structural modifications are indeed widespread, a detailed study of eye miniaturizations involving tiny lepidopteran species (2-6 mm) to determine limiting factors and specific adaptations seemed timely and interesting. With one exception, all of the subsequently investigated species revealed eye structures for which a clear morphological division into apposition and superposition eyes was not feasible. Thus the need arose to describe and discuss some intermediate types of eye. It appears that due to functional morphological constraints as a consequence of miniaturization, an evolutionary transformation from superposition to apposition optics has occurred at least once within the “Microlepidoptera”. As an example for this evolutionary scenario we discuss in detail the unique eye design discovered in Phyllonorycter medicaginella (Gerasimov, 1930) and then consider more generally functional and morphological limiting factors that impacted on compound eye miniaturization. Keywords: Miniaturization, superposition, apposition, compound eyes, Lepidoptera, Insects Conference: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Oral presentation preferred Topic: Eye design, optics and spatial vision Citation: Fischer S, Müller CH and Meyer-Rochow B (2019). The Challenge of Being Small: Compound Eye Miniaturization in Lepidoptera. Front. Physiol. Conference Abstract: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision. doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00052 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 28 Feb 2013; Published Online: 09 Dec 2019. * Correspondence: Dr. Stefan Fischer, Jacobs University Bremen, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Bremen, 28759, Germany, s.fischer@jacobs-university.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Stefan Fischer Carsten H Müller Benno Meyer-Rochow Google Stefan Fischer Carsten H Müller Benno Meyer-Rochow Google Scholar Stefan Fischer Carsten H Müller Benno Meyer-Rochow PubMed Stefan Fischer Carsten H Müller Benno Meyer-Rochow Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Age, aging and labor—consequences for individuals and institutions

Many advanced Western countries have been and will be facing both aging and shrinking populations in the decades to come. The challenges resulting from this demographic change for the labor market, the educational system and the welfare state are serious. However, they do not have to lead into a deep and inevitable crisis if political decision-makers, firms, society and individuals alike are willing to undertake the necessary changes. It is essential to start the necessary transformations now! In particular, institutions, working conditions and individual behavior need to be adjusted in order to keep elderly workers longer fit and healthy and to improve work/life balance over the life course. As a consequence, this empowers people to stay in employment longer than previously. This includes that traditional strategies of excluding older persons from further working and training are abandoned. In general, the one-sided negative view of the aging process has to be reconsidered. These were the guiding principles of the workshop “Age, aging and labor—consequences for individuals and institutions” that took place in April 2010 in Nuremberg and that was commonly hosted by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and the Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development of the Jacobs University Bre-