University of Konstanz

About: University of Konstanz is a education organization based out in Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Visualization. The organization has 12115 authors who have published 27401 publications receiving 951162 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Constance & Universität Konstanz.

In vivo evidence for a functional role of both tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors and transmembrane TNF in experimental hepatitis.

Abstract: The significance of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) for TNF function in vivo is well documented, whereas the role of TNFR2 so far remains obscure. In a model of concanavalin A (Con A)-induced, CD4+ T cell-dependent experimental hepatitis in mice, in which TNF is a central mediator of apoptotic and necrotic liver damage, we now provide evidence for an essential in vivo function of TNFR2 in this pathophysiological process. We demonstrate that a cooperation of TNFR1 and TNFR2 is required for hepatotoxicity as mice deficient of either receptor were resistant against Con A. A significant role of TNFR2 for Con A-induced hepatitis is also shown by the enhanced sensitivity of transgenic mice overexpressing the human TNFR2. The ligand for cytotoxic signaling via both TNF receptors is the precursor of soluble TNF, i.e. transmembrane TNF. Indeed, transmembrane TNF is sufficient to mediate hepatic damage, as transgenic mice deficient in wild-type soluble TNF but expressing a mutated nonsecretable form of TNF developed inflammatory liver disease.

Group formation and cohesion of active particles with visual perception-dependent motility.

Abstract: Group formation in living systems typically results from a delicate balance of repulsive, aligning, and attractive interactions. We found that a mere motility change of the individuals in response to the visual perception of their peers induces group formation and cohesion. We tested this principle in a real system of active particles whose motilities are controlled by an external feedback loop. For narrow fields of view, individuals gathered into cohesive nonpolarized groups without requiring active reorientations. For wider fields of view, cohesion could be achieved by lowering the response threshold. We expect this motility-induced cohesion mechanism to be relevant not only for the self-organization of living systems, but also for the design of robust and scalable autonomous systems.

Credit spread interdependencies of European states and banks during the financial crisis

Abstract: We investigate the interdependence of the default risk of several Eurozone countries (France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain) and their domestic banks during the period between June 2007 and May 2010, using daily credit default swaps (CDS). Bank bailout programs changed the composition of both banks’ and sovereign balance sheets and, moreover, affected the linkage between the default risk of governments and their local banks. Our main findings suggest that in the period before bank bailouts the contagion disperses from bank credit spreads into the sovereign CDS market. After bailouts, a financial sector shock affects sovereign CDS spreads more strongly in the short run. However, the impact becomes insignificant in the long term. Furthermore, government CDS spreads become an important determinant of banks’ CDS series. The interdependence of government and bank credit risk is heterogeneous across countries, but homogeneous within the same country.

Intergenerational Ambivalence: Further Steps in Theory and Research

Abstract: Key Words: ambivalence, family therapy, gender, intergenerational relations, postmodernism. The article by Ingrid Connidis and Julie McMullin and the initiative of the Journal of Marriage and Family's editor provide an excellent opportunity to continue the discussion on the relevance of the concept of ambivalence for the study of intergenerational relations. Nearly 4 years have passed since Karl Pillemer and I (Luscher & Pillemer, 1998) published our ideas on the topic in this journal. Connidis and McMullin take this article as their starting point and refer to it both approvingly and critically. I cannot always follow their critique, as I will show at appropriate points below. What counts most, however (and this is greatly to be applauded) is that all of us are interested in the further development of the approach. Interestingly, insights into the ambivalence between parents and adult children can be traced back to the beginnings of human society, although the term itself was apparently first created only in 1910. In Greek mythology, some of the greatest sagas depict what we now refer to as ambivalence. The best known of these is the drama of the fateful relationship between Oedipus and his father. This theme is also found in modern literature. Franz Kafka's story The Metamorphosis or, more recently, Philip Roth's novel American Pastoral, are only two of many examples. Today, the term ambivalence is widely used. For example, we may hear adult children saying that they feel ambivalent about placing their elderly father or mother in a nursing home. The central question, then, is to determine what can be gained by using the concept in family research. I agree with Connidis and McMullin that the concept of ambivalence enables us to study intergenerational relationships with greater openness and it can help to accentuate the sociological perspective. To this end, the structural conditions of ambivalence should be given adequate attention. The authors mention gender inequality as a particular example, thereby providing a bridge to gender studies. Taking this a step further, I see the concept of ambivalence as well-suited to linking various disciplines that work on the "problem of generations" (Mannheim, 1928). Ambivalence can be comprehended as a "sensitizing concept," as defined by Blumer (1969), giving "the user a general sense of reference and guidance in approaching empirical instances. Whereas definitive concepts provide prescriptions of what to see, sensitizing concepts merely suggest directions along which to look." (p. 148). I would even maintain that the challenge of ambivalence lies in its ambiguities. I say this drawing on Levine's stimulating book, The Flight from Ambiguity (1986). The author provides a wellgrounded argument that insight into the ambiguity of a concept is a motor for the development of new ideas. But in order for this motor to really function and propel us forward, conceptual determinations are indispensable. They are also the foundation for the formulation of specific hypotheses and for the development of research instruments. In this regard, few concrete suggestions can be found in the article by Connidis and McMullin. Of course they offer numerous examples but for research, systematic conceptual work is indispensable. This is where the scientific approach to intergenerational ambivalence differs from that found in literary works and everyday common sense. STEPS TOWARD DEFINING AMBIVALENCE In order to avoid a potential misunderstanding, I would like to make it clear that I do not intend to present an all-purpose or ultimate definition of ambivalence. That would be dogmatic. Because ambivalence is a concept that is discussed in many different contexts-from ordinary language to psychological and sociological research-we must attempt to isolate its major ideas and dimensions. For this purpose, it is most useful to turn to the brief yet many faceted history of the concept's scientific use. …