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Alles auf Anfang!
(2019)
Im Zuge der Bologna-Reform ist an Hochschulen vieles in Bewegung gekommen. Studium und Lehre sind stärker ins Blickfeld gerückt. Dabei kommt der Studieneingangsphase besondere Bedeutung zu, werden doch hier die Weichen für ein erfolgreiches Studium gestellt. Deshalb ist es verständlich, dass die Hauptanstrengungen der Hochschulen auf den Studieneingang gerichtet sind – ganz nach dem Motto: „Auf den Anfang kommt es an!“. Konsens herrscht dahingehend, dass der Studieneingang neu zu gestalten ist, doch beim „Wie?“ gibt es unterschiedliche Antworten. Zugleich wird immer deutlicher, dass eine wirksame Neugestaltung der Eingangsphase nur mit einer umfassenden Reform des Studiums gelingen kann.
Ziel des vierten Bandes der Potsdamer Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung ist es, eine Zwischenbilanz der Debatte zum Studieneingang zu ziehen. Auf der Basis empirischer Studien werden unterschiedliche Perspektiven auf den Studieneingang eingenommen und Empfehlungen zur Optimierung des Studieneingangs abgeleitet. Die zahlreichen Untersuchungsergebnisse Potsdamer Forschergruppen werden durch weitere nationale sowie internationale Perspektiven ergänzt. Der Band richtet sich an alle, die sich für die Entwicklung an Hochschulen interessieren.
The effects of climate and topography on soil physico-chemical and microbial parameters were studied along an extensive latitudinal climate gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile (26 degrees-38 degrees S). The study sites encompass arid (Pan de Azucar), semiarid (Santa Gracia), mediterranean (La Campana) and humid (Nahuelbuta) climates and vegetation, ranging from arid desert, dominated by biological soil crusts (biocrusts), semiarid shrubland and mediterranean sclerophyllous forest, where biocrusts are present but do have a seasonal pattern to temperate-mixed forest, where biocrusts only occur as an early pioneering development stage after disturbance. All soils originate from granitic parent materials and show very strong differences in pedogenesis intensity and soil depth. Most of the investigated physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties showed distinct trends along the climate gradient. Further, abrupt changes between the arid northernmost study site and the other semi-arid to humid sites can be shown, which indicate non-linearity and thresholds along the climate gradient. Clay and total organic carbon contents (TOC) as well as Ah horizons and solum depths increased from arid to humid climates, whereas bulk density (BD), pH values and base saturation (BS) decreased. These properties demonstrate the accumulation of organic matter, clay formation and element leaching as key-pedogenic processes with increasing humidity. However, the soils in the northern arid climate do not follow this overall latitudinal trend, because texture and BD are largely controlled by aeolian input of dust and sea salts spray followed by the formation of secondary evaporate minerals. Total soil DNA concentrations and TOC increased from arid to humid sites, while areal coverage by biocrusts exhibited an opposite trend. Relative bacterial and archaeal abundances were lower in the arid site, but for the other sites the local variability exceeds the variability along the climate gradient. Differences in soil properties between topographic positions were most pronounced at the study sites with the mediterranean and humid climate, whereas microbial abundances were independent on topography across all study sites. In general, the regional climate is the strongest controlling factor for pedogenesis and microbial parameters in soils developed from the same parent material. Topographic position along individual slopes of limited length augmented this effect only under humid conditions, where water erosion likely relocated particles and elements downward. The change from alkaline to neutral soil pH between the arid and the semi-arid site coincided with qualitative differences in soil formation as well as microbial habitats. This also reflects non-linear relationships of pedogenic and microbial processes in soils depending on climate with a sharp threshold between arid and semi-arid conditions. Therefore, the soils on the transition between arid and semi-arid conditions are especially sensitive and may be well used as indicators of long and medium-term climate changes. Concluding, the unique latitudinal precipitation gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile is predestined to investigate the effects of the main soil forming factor - climate - on pedogenic processes.
From north to south, denudation rates from cosmogenic nuclides are similar to 10 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the arid Pan de Aziicar site, similar to 20 t km(2) yr(-1) at the semi-arid site of Santa Gracia, -60 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the Mediterranean climate site of La Campana, and similar to 30 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the humid site of Nahuelbuta. A and B horizons increase in thickness and elemental depletion or enrichment increases from north (similar to 26 degrees S) to south (similar to 38 degrees S) in these horizons. Differences in the degree of chemical weathering, quantified by the chemical depletion fraction (CDF), are significant only between the arid and sparsely vegetated site and the other three sites. Differences in the CDF between the sites, and elemental depletion within the sites are sometimes smaller than the variations induced by the bedrock heterogeneity. Microbial abundances (bacteria and archaea) in saprolite substantially increase from the arid to the semi-arid sites. With this study, we provide a comprehensive dataset characterizing the Critical Zone geochemistry in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. This dataset confirms climatic controls on weathering and denudation rates and provides prerequisites to quantify the role of biota in future studies.
GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board.
In this paper, the applicability of deep downhole geoelectrical monitoring for detecting CO2 related signatures is evaluated after a nearly ten year period of CO2 storage at the Ketzin pilot site. Deep downhole electrode arrays have been studied as part of a multi-physical monitoring concept at four CO2 pilot test sites worldwide so far. For these sites, it was considered important to implement the geoelectrical method into the measurement program of tracking the CO2 plume. Analyzing the example of the Ketzin site, it can be seen that during all phases of the CO2 storage reservoir development the resistivity measurements and their corresponding tomographic interpretation contribute in a beneficial manner to the measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) protocol. The most important impact of a permanent electrode array is its potential as tool for estimating reservoir saturations.
Aus dem Inhalt:
• Gemeinschaftliches Eigentum indigener Völker – Recht und Rechtsdurchsetzung am Fall Lhaka Honhat gegen Argentinien
• „Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod“: Die Pflichten des Staates beim Umgang mit freiverantwortlicher Lebensbeendigung – Eine Untersuchung unter Berücksichtigung der deutschen und europäischen höchstrichterlichen Rechtsprechung
• Die Individualbeschwerde vor dem Kinderrechtsausschuss der Vereinten Nationen: Ein Instrument zur effektiven Durchsetzung der Kinderrechte?
Beyond technology
(2022)
This article enriches the existing literature on the importance and role of the social sciences and humanities (SSH) in renewable energy sources research by providing a novel approach to instigating the future research agenda in this field. Employing a series of in-depth interviews, deliberative focus group workshops and a systematic horizon scanning process, which utilised the expert knowledge of 85 researchers from the field with diverse disciplinary backgrounds and expertise, the paper develops a set of 100 priority questions for future research within SSH scholarship on renewable energy sources. These questions were aggregated into four main directions: (i) deep transformations and connections to the broader economic system (i.e. radical ways of (re)arranging socio-technical, political and economic relations), (ii) cultural and geographical diversity (i.e. contextual cultural, historical, political and socio-economic factors influencing citizen support for energy transitions), (iii) complexifying energy governance (i.e. understanding energy systems from a systems dynamics perspective) and (iv) shifting from instrumental acceptance to value-based objectives (i.e. public support for energy transitions as a normative notion linked to trust-building and citizen engagement). While this agenda is not intended to be—and cannot be—exhaustive or exclusive, we argue that it advances the understanding of SSH research on renewable energy sources and may have important value in the prioritisation of SSH themes needed to enrich dialogues between policymakers, funding institutions and researchers. SSH scholarship should not be treated as instrumental to other research on renewable energy but as intrinsic and of the same hierarchical importance.
PSI-Potsdam
(2018)
In Brandenburg kommt der Universität Potsdam eine besondere Rolle zu: Sie ist die einzige, an der zukünftige Lehrerinnen und Lehrer die erste Phase ihres Werdegangs – das Lehramtsstudium – absolvieren können. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde bereits kurz nach der Gründung im Jahr 1991 das „Potsdamer Modell der Lehrerbildung“ entwickelt. Dieses Modell strebt fortlaufend eine enge Verzahnung von Theorie und Praxis über das gesamte Studium hinweg an und bindet hierfür die schulpraktischen Studienanteile in besonderer Weise ein. Eine erneute Stärkung erfuhr die Lehrerbildung im Dezember 2014 mit der Gründung des Zentrums für Lehrerbildung und Bildungsforschung (ZeLB). Aus der koordinierenden Arbeit des Zentrums entstand das fakultätsübergreifende Projekt „Professionalisierung – Schulpraktische Studien – Inklusion“ (PSI-Potsdam) das im Rahmen der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung erfolgreich gefördert wurde (2015–2018) und dessen Verlängerung (2019–2023) bewilligt ist.
Der vorliegende Band vermittelt in den drei großen Kapiteln „Erhebungsinstrumente“, „Seminarkonzepte“ und „Vernetzungen“ einen Überblick über einige der praxisnahen Forschungszugänge, hochschuldidaktischen Ansätze und Strategien zur Vernetzung innerhalb der Lehrerbildung, die im Rahmen von PSI-Potsdam entwickelt und umgesetzt wurden. Die Beiträge wurden mit dem Ziel verfasst, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an Universitäten und Hochschulen, Akteur_innen des Vorbereitungsdiensts sowie der Fort- und Weiterbildung von Lehrkräften möglichst konkrete Einblicke zu gewähren.
Unter der Herausgeberschaft von Prof. Dr. Andreas Borowski (Fachdidaktik Physik), Prof. Dr. Antje Ehlert (Inklusionspädagogik mit dem Förderschwerpunkt Lernen) und Prof. Dr. Helmut Prechtl (Fachdidaktik Biologie) vereinen sich Autor_innen mit breit gestreuter fachdidaktischer und bildungswissenschaftlicher Expertise.
PSI-Potsdam
(2023)
An der Universität Potsdam wird seit 2015 im Rahmen der „Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung“ das Projekt „Professionalisierung – Schulpraktische Studien – Inklusion“ (PSI-Potsdam) durchgeführt und am Zentrum für Lehrerbildung und Bildungsforschung (ZeLB) koordiniert. Zur ersten Projektförderphase (2015-2018) erschien der Band „PSI-Potsdam – Ergebnisbericht zu den Aktivitäten im Rahmen der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung (2015-2018)“ zum Auftakt der Reihe „Potsdamer Beiträge zur Lehrerbildung und Bildungsforschung“.
Der vorliegende Band aus der gleichen Reihe gibt in den Kapiteln „Erhebungen“, „Lehrkonzepte“ und „Vernetzungen“ einen Überblick über alle Teilprojekte der zweiten Projektförderphase (2019-2023). Wissenschaftler:innen aus verschiedenen Fachdidaktiken, Fachwissenschaften sowie aus den Bildungswissenschaften und der Inklusionspädagogik haben im Rahmen des Projektes kooperiert. Sowohl praxisnahe Forschung als auch die Entwicklung neuer Lehrkonzepte sowie Strategien zur Vernetzung innerhalb der Lehrkräftebildung stehen im Fokus dieses Bandes. Die Praxisphasen, die im Rahmen des „Potsdamer Modells der Lehrerbildung“ eine zentrale Rolle spielen, wurden in einer großen Studie über alle Praxisphasen untersucht.
Der Band gibt interessante Einblicke in die Ergebnisse der Teilprojekte und Anregungen sowohl für die eigene Forschung als auch für Entwicklungsarbeit wie zum Beispiel die Entwicklung neuer Lehrkonzepte. Herausgegeben wird dieser Band von PD Dr. Jolanda Hermanns (Gesamtkoordinatorin PSI-Potsdam und Chemiedidaktikerin).
This article provides an overview of developments in Brussels in the field of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters from January 2021 until December 2021. It gives information on newly adopted legal instruments and summarizes current projects that are presently making their way through the EU legislative process. It also refers to the laws enacted at the national level in Germany as a result of new European instruments. Furthermore, the authors look at areas of law where the EU has made use of its external competence. They discuss both important decisions and pending cases before the CJEU as well as important decisions from German courts pertaining to the subject matter of the article. In addition, the article also looks at current projects and the latest developments at the Hague Conference of Private International Law.
This article provides an overview of developments in Brussels in the field of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters from December 2019 until December 2020. It provides an overview of newly adopted legal instruments and summarizes current projects that are presently making their way through the EU legislative process. It also refers to the laws enacted at the national level in Germany as a result of new European instruments. Furthermore, the authors look at areas of law where the EU has made use of its external competence. They discuss both important decisions and pending cases before the CJEU as well as important decisions from German courts pertaining to the subject matter of the article. In addition, the article also looks at current projects and the latest developments at the Hague Conference of Private International Law.
This article provides an overview of developments in Brussels in the field of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters from January 2022 until December 2022. It presents newly adopted legal instruments and summarizes current projects that are making their way through the EU legislative process. It also refers to the laws enacted at the national level in Germany as a result of new European instruments. Furthermore, the authors look at areas of law where the EU has made use of its external competence. They discuss both important decisions and pending cases before the CJEU as well as important decisions from German courts pertaining to the subject matter of the article. In addition, the article also looks at current projects and the latest developments at the Hague Conference of Private International Law.
This article provides an overview of developments in Brussels in the field of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters from January/February 2019 until November 2019. It provides an overview of newly adopted legal instruments and summarizes current projects that are presently making their way through the EU legislative process. It also refers to the laws enacted at the national level in Germany as a result of new European instruments. Furthermore, the authors look at areas of law where the EU has made use of its external competence. They discuss important decisions of the CJEU. In addition, the article looks at current projects and the latest developments at the Hague Conference of Private International Law.
BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports-among others-the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.
James Ross Island (JRI) offers the exceptional opportunity to study microbial-driven pedogenesis without the influence of vascular plants or faunal activities (e.g., penguin rookeries). In this study, two soil profiles from JRI (one at Santa Martha Cove - SMC, and another at Brandy Bay BB) were investigated, in order to gain information about the initial state of soil formation and its interplay with prokaryotic activity, by combining pedological, geochemical and microbiological methods. The soil profiles are similar with respect to topographic position and parent material but are spatially separated by an orographic barrier and therefore represent windward and leeward locations towards the mainly southwesterly winds. These different positions result in differences in electric conductivity of the soils caused by additional input of bases by sea spray at the windward site and opposing trends in the depth functions of soil pH and electric conductivity. Both soils are classified as Cryosols, dominated by bacterial taxa such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Chloroflexi. A shift in the dominant taxa was observed below 20 cm in both soils as well as an increased abundance of multiple operational taxonomic units (OTUs) related to potential chemolithoautotrophic Acidiferrobacteraceae. This shift is coupled by a change in microstructure. While single/pellicular grain microstructure (SMC) and platy microstructure (BB) are dominant above 20 cm, lenticular microstructure is dominant below 20 cm in both soils. The change in microstructure is caused by frequent freeze-thaw cycles and a relative high water content, and it goes along with a development of the pore spacing and is accompanied by a change in nutrient content. Multivariate statistics revealed the influence of soil parameters such as chloride, sulfate, calcium and organic carbon contents, grain size distribution and pedogenic oxide ratios on the overall microbial community structure and explained 49.9% of its variation. The correlation of the pedogenic oxide ratios with the compositional distribution of microorganisms as well as the relative abundance certain microorganisms such as potentially chemolithotrophic Acidiferrobacteraceae-related OTUs could hint at an interplay between soil-forming processes and microorganisms.
One for all, all for one
(2022)
We propose a conceptual model of acceptance of contact tracing apps based on the privacy calculus perspective. Moving beyond the duality of personal benefits and privacy risks, we theorize that users hold social considerations (i.e., social benefits and risks) that underlie their acceptance decisions. To test our propositions, we chose the context of COVID-19 contact tracing apps and conducted a qualitative pre-study and longitudinal quantitative main study with 589 participants from Germany and Switzerland. Our findings confirm the prominence of individual privacy calculus in explaining intention to use and actual behavior. While privacy risks are a significant determinant of intention to use, social risks (operationalized as fear of mass surveillance) have a notably stronger impact. Our mediation analysis suggests that social risks represent the underlying mechanism behind the observed negative link between individual privacy risks and contact tracing apps' acceptance. Furthermore, we find a substantial intention–behavior gap.
One for all, all for one
(2022)
We propose a conceptual model of acceptance of contact tracing apps based on the privacy calculus perspective. Moving beyond the duality of personal benefits and privacy risks, we theorize that users hold social considerations (i.e., social benefits and risks) that underlie their acceptance decisions. To test our propositions, we chose the context of COVID-19 contact tracing apps and conducted a qualitative pre-study and longitudinal quantitative main study with 589 participants from Germany and Switzerland. Our findings confirm the prominence of individual privacy calculus in explaining intention to use and actual behavior. While privacy risks are a significant determinant of intention to use, social risks (operationalized as fear of mass surveillance) have a notably stronger impact. Our mediation analysis suggests that social risks represent the underlying mechanism behind the observed negative link between individual privacy risks and contact tracing apps' acceptance. Furthermore, we find a substantial intention–behavior gap.
Context
For a given body mass index (BMI), both impaired metabolic health (MH) and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) associate with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Objective
It remains unknown whether both risk phenotypes relate to CVD independently of each other, and whether these relationships differ in normal weight, overweight, and obese subjects.
Methods
Data from 421 participants from the Tubingen Diabetes Family Study, who had measurements of anthropometrics, metabolic parameters, CRF (maximal aerobic capacity [VO2max]) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), an early marker of atherosclerosis, were analyzed. Subjects were divided by BMI and MH status into 6 phenotypes.
Results
In univariate analyses, older age, increased BMI, and a metabolic risk profile correlated positively, while insulin sensitivity and VO2max negatively with cIMT. In multivariable analyses in obese subjects, older age, male sex, lower VO2max (std. ss -0.21, P = 0.002) and impaired MH (std. ss 0.13, P = 0.02) were independent determinants of increased cIMT. After adjustment for age and sex, subjects with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) had higher cIMT than subjects with metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW; 0.59 +/- 0.009 vs 0.52 +/- 0.01 mm; P < 0.05). When VO2max was additionally included in this model, the difference in cIMT between MHO and MHNW groups became statistically nonsignificant (0.58 +/- 0.009 vs 0.56 +/- 0.02 mm; P > 0.05).
Conclusion
These data suggest that impaired MH and low CRF independently determine increased cIMT in obese subjects and that low CRF may explain part of the increased CVD risk observed in MHO compared with MHNW.
Portal alumni
(2012)
Das zurückliegende Jahr stand an der Universität Potsdam auch im Zeichen des zwanzigjährigen Jubiläums der Hochschule. Am 15. Juli 1991, wurde sie gegründet und während einer Festwoche feierten Professorinnen und Professoren, Mitarbeiterinnen, Mitarbeiter und Studierende dieses Jubiläum gebührend. Seit der Gründung der größten brandenburgischen Hochschule sind wissenschaftliches Renommee, Ansehen und Attraktivität stetig gewachsen. Gerade in den letzten Jahren hat sie ihr Profil geschärft. Vor allem die Kognitions-, die Geo- und Biowissenschaften sind hier zu nennen. Aber auch die Lehrerbildung besitzt einen hohen Stellenwert. International anerkannte Forschungsbereiche, Wissenschaftspreise, eine erfolgreiche Drittmittelbilanz und nicht zuletzt die bauliche Entwicklung an allen drei Standorten sind sichtbare Indikatoren für die erfolgreiche Entwicklung, die die Universität Potsdam in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten durchlaufen hat. Die drei ehemaligen Präsidenten sowie verschiedene andere Protagonisten werfen in dieser Ausgabe der Portal Alumni einen Blick auf unterschiedliche Aspekte der zurückliegenden Entwicklung der Universität. Vom Erfolg der Universität zeugt auch die wachsende Zahl der Absolventinnen und Absolventen, die die Universität verlassen. Portal Alumni stellt in der vorliegenden Ausgabe deshalb Absolventen und deren universitäre und berufliche Lebenswege genauer vor und lässt damit zugleich kaleidoskopartig 20 Jahre Studium an der Universität Potsdam Revue passieren.
Soil bacteria play a fundamental role in pedogenesis. However, knowledge about both the impact of climate and slope aspects on microbial communities and the consequences of these items in pedogenesis is lacking. Therefore, soil-bacterial communities from four sites and two different aspects along the climate gradient of the Chilean Coastal Cordillera were investigated. Using a combination of microbiological and physicochemical methods, soils that developed in arid, semi-arid, mediterranean, and humid climates were analyzed. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobia, and Planctomycetes were found to increase in abundance from arid to humid climates, while Actinobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes decreased along the transect. Bacterial-community structure varied with climate and aspect and was influenced by pH, bulk density, plant-available phosphorus, clay, and total organic-matter content. Higher bacterial specialization was found in arid and humid climates and on the south-facing slope and was likely promoted by stable microclimatic conditions. The presence of specialists was associated with ecosystem-functional traits, which shifted from pioneers that accumulated organic matter in arid climates to organic decomposers in humid climates. These findings provide new perspectives on how climate and slope aspects influence the composition and functional capabilities of bacteria, with most of these capabilities being involved in pedogenetic processes.
Across a landscape, aquatic-terrestrial interfaces within and between ecosystems are hotspots of organic matter (OM) mineralization. These interfaces are characterized by sharp spatio-temporal changes in environmental conditions, which affect OM properties and thus control OM mineralization and other transformation processes. Consequently, the extent of OM movement at and across aquatic-terrestrial interfaces is crucial in determining OM turnover and carbon (C) cycling at the landscape scale. Here, we propose expanding current concepts in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem sciences to comprehensively evaluate OM turnover at the landscape scale. We focus on three main concepts toward explaining OM turnover at the landscape scale: the landscape spatiotemporal context, OM turnover described by priming and ecological stoichiometry, and anthropogenic effects as a disruptor of natural OM transfer magnitudes and pathways. A conceptual framework is introduced that allows for discussing the disparities in spatial and temporal scales of OM transfer, changes in environmental conditions, ecosystem connectivity, and microbial-substrate interactions. The potential relevance of priming effects in both terrestrial and aquatic systems is addressed. For terrestrial systems, we hypothesize that the interplay between the influx of OM, its corresponding elemental composition, and the elemental demand of the microbial communities may alleviate spatial and metabolic thresholds. In comparison, substrate level OM dynamics may be substantially different in aquatic systems due to matrix effects that accentuate the role of abiotic conditions, substrate quality, and microbial community dynamics. We highlight the disproportionate impact anthropogenic activities can have on OM cycling across the landscape. This includes reversing natural OM flows through the landscape, disrupting ecosystem connectivity, and nutrient additions that cascade across the landscape. This knowledge is crucial for a better understanding of OM cycling in a landscape context, in particular since terrestrial and aquatic compartments may respond differently to the ongoing changes in climate, land use, and other anthropogenic interferences.
Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients receive therapeutic immunosuppression that compromises their immune response to infections and vaccines. For this reason, SOT patients have a high risk of developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and an increased risk of death from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Moreover, the efficiency of immunotherapies and vaccines is reduced due to the constant immunosuppression in this patient group. Here, we propose adoptive transfer of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells made resistant to a common immunosuppressant, tacrolimus, for optimized performance in the immunosuppressed patient. Using a ribonucleoprotein approach of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we have generated tacrolimus-resistant SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell products from convalescent donors and demonstrate their specificity and function through characterizations at the single-cell level, including flow cytometry, single-cell RNA (scRNA) Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes (CITE), and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing analyses. Based on the promising results, we aim for clinical validation of this approach in transplant recipients. Additionally, we propose a combinatory approach with tacrolimus, to prevent an overshooting immune response manifested as bystander T cell activation in the setting of severe COVID-19 immunopathology, and tacrolimus-resistant SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell products, allowing for efficient clearance of viral infection. Our strategy has the potential to prevent severe COVID-19 courses in SOT or autoimmunity settings and to prevent immunopathology while providing viral clearance in severe non-transplant COVID-19 cases.
Cities and other human settlements are major contributors to climate change and are highly vulnerable to its impacts. They are also uniquely positioned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lead adaptation efforts. These compound challenges and opportunities require a comprehensive perspective on the public policy of human settlements. Drawing on core literature that has driven debate around cities and climate over recent decades, we put forward a set of boundary objects that can be applied to connect the knowledge of epistemic communities and support an integrated urbanism. We then use these boundary objects to develop the Goals-Intervention-Stakeholder-Enablers (GISE) framework for a public policy of human settlements that is both place-specific and provides insights and tools useful for climate action in cities and other human settlements worldwide. Using examples from Berlin, we apply this framework to show that climate mitigation and adaptation, public health, and well-being goals are closely linked and mutually supportive when a comprehensive approach to urban public policy is applied.
Zum dreißigjährigen Bestehen des Kommunalwissenschaftlichen Instituts an der Universität Potsdam vereint dieser Jubiläumsband kurze Aufsätze von ehemaligen und aktuellen Vorstandsmitgliedern, von Ehrenmitgliedern des Vorstands, langjährigen wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeitern des Instituts und aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Kooperationspartnern. Die insgesamt zwölf Beiträge befassen sich mit den Kommunalwissenschaften und der Geschichte des Kommunalwissenschaftlichen Instituts, mit aktuellen kommunalwissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen und wissenschaftlichen Kooperationen des KWI. Der vom KWI-Vorstand herausgegebene Band soll einen breiten Blick auf 30 Jahre Kommunalwissenschaften in Brandenburg und an der Universität Potsdam werfen und einen Ausblick auf zukünftige kommunalwissenschaftliche Forschung geben.