University of Bamberg

In an era of global polycrisis, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and geopolitical disruption, how the ocean is depicted and imagined in popular culture plays a crucial role in shaping the public understanding of ocean‐related challenges and societal responses to them. We introduce the concept of ocean pop—the portrayal of oceanic spaces, issues, and both human and non‐human actors in popular media—as a framework for critically examining these imaginaries. We contextualise the concept by showing how popular culture both reflects and shapes dominant (political) discourses about the ocean, spanning topics from environmental protection to piracy and warfare. The articles of this thematic issue underline their contributions to interdisciplinary, multimedia scholarship within the blue humanities and social sciences. Beyond showcasing insights into popular culture artefacts, we highlight the value of ocean pop in addressing empirical challenges and normative questions alike. In doing so, we invite scholars to refine and extend the concept as a framework for understanding and reconfiguring contemporary engagements with the ocean.

Abstract We consider a two-dimensional discontinuous piecewise linear homogeneous map in two partitions, belonging to the family of Belykh maps, whose characteristic property is that the Jacobian determinant is the same at any point of the phase plane. The fixed points of the functions defining the map have disjoint stability regions. Three kinds of discontinuity sets separating these partitions are considered. As shown in our previous works, discontinuous piecewise linear homogenous maps can have weird quasiperiodic attractors (WQAs). We prove that there are parameter regions where the existence of WQAs is generic. Owing to the complex shape of a WQA, it may appear similar to a chaotic attractor. However, a WQA does not contain any cycle or other invariant subsets, being the closure of quasiperiodic trajectories. We present examples of contact bifurcations of coexisting WQAs with their basin boundaries leading to a unique WQA, showing that these bifurcations are not associated with homoclinic/heteroclinic trajectories. We discuss also contact bifurcations leading to the divergence that may be accompanied by a long transient following the former attractor. The simplicity of the map allows us to describe the mechanism of the appearance/disappearance of WQAs, always related to the unstable eigenvector of the fixed point.

Abstract Migration is a phenomenon that presents both opportunities and challenges for individuals as well as for host societies. Following the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, many teachers were dismissed from their profession, and forced to leave Turkey, with some choosing Germany as their destination. This study aims to explore the beliefs of these teachers regarding their professional future in Germany and their employment prospects, as well as the factors shaping these beliefs. The study employed Q methodology, which combines quantitative and qualitative elements and allows for the systematic examination of individuals’ subjective viewpoints, beliefs, and attitudes. Data collection was conducted online using the EQ Configurator, which enabled participants to express their perspectives in a secure and structured manner. The participants consisted of 24 Turkish migrant teachers enrolled in the Early Childhood Education (Kindheitspädagogik) department at the Evangelische Hochschule in Germany. Key findings highlight that both individual efforts (e.g., language learning) and social or institutional support mechanisms (e.g., guidance and language support provided by higher education institutions) play a critical role in cultural adaptation and professional career development.

Floodplains are key geoarchives for reconstructing long-term human–environment interactions, particularly during the Late Holocene when anthropogenic influence increasingly rivalled natural controls on fluvial systems. In Central Europe, centuries of land-use change, deforestation, agriculture and hydrotechnical interventions have fundamentally reshaped river morphology, sediment dynamics and floodplain architecture. This study investigates the Wiesent River catchment in northern Bavaria, Germany, as a representative example of the transition from a predominantly natural to a human-dominated fluvial landscape.We apply a multi-proxy approach combining sedimentological, geophysical and paleoenvironmental analyses with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to establish a robust chronological framework for floodplain development. Bayesian age–depth modelling of OSL ages significantly reduces chronological uncertainty and enables the identification of successive phases of sediment accumulation and stratigraphic reorganisation. This improved temporal resolution facilitates comparison between floodplain sedimentation patterns and archaeological and historical evidence for land-use change within broader socio-environmental developments.The floodplains of the Wiesent River catchment are characterised by laterally extensive and locally thick overbank deposits that record pronounced shifts in sediment dynamics during the Late Holocene. Chronostratigraphic patterns indicate that sediment deposition within the floodplain is not synchronous with documented phases of intensified land use in the catchment. Instead, the results point to pronounced temporal offsets between sediment mobilisation in upland areas and its eventual incorporation into floodplain stratigraphy. These offsets highlight the importance of sediment storage and delayed transfer within the catchment, consistent with a sediment cascade framework in which mobilised material may remain stored in hillslopes, colluvial deposits or tributary systems for extended periods before final floodplain deposition.The chronostratigraphic record demonstrates that floodplain sedimentation does not directly mirror phases of peak human activity, but rather reflects the cumulative and time-transgressive nature of sediment transfer processes. Comparisons with already studied sub-catchments support the regional relevance of these delayed responses. By integrating high-resolution OSL chronologies with sedimentological evidence, this study provides a nuanced reconstruction of fluvial transformation that emphasises temporal lags and internal system feedbacks.These findings underline the value of well-constrained chronostratigraphy for interpreting fluvial geoarchives in human-modified landscapes. Understanding the timing and pathways of sediment redistribution is essential for disentangling natural processes from indirect human influence and for placing archaeological and historical land-use signals into their geomorphological and geoarchaeological context.

ABSTRACT This paper introduces Chresiology, a meta-theoretical framework that redefines concept-driven research by prioritising relational dynamics over determinations of meaning and system allocations. Chresiology shifts focus from asking first ‘What does this concept (or term, sign, symbol) mean?’ or ‘Where does it fit?’ to exploring first ‘How does it connect and relate to others?’. The paper shows how Chresiology provides a scalable framework for advancing interdisciplinary and theoretical inquiry. By temporarily suspending predefined meanings and emphasising use over meaning and system, Chresiology offers a flexible methodology adaptable to both small-scale manual analyses and large-scale computational research. The framework’s core relational tools – vectors, Conditional Possibilities (CPs), and tags – enable researchers to uncover connections and patterns across disciplines, fostering innovative pathways for interdisciplinary analysis. Practical applications, including the exploration of the concepts of ‘trace’ and ‘behaviour’, illustrate its ability to challenge disciplinary boundaries and illuminate previously unrecognised relationships.

The increasing use of antidepressant combinations necessitates a deeper understanding of drug-drug interactions. This study investigated serum concentration-dependent CYP2D6 inhibition by bupropion (via hydroxybupropion) and doxepin at antidepressant doses, using venlafaxine and risperidone as victim drugs.Therapeutic drug monitoring data from inpatients at the University Hospital of Würzburg (2018-2023) were retrospectively analyzed across four interaction groups (hydroxybupropion-venlafaxine, doxepin-venlafaxine, doxepin-risperidone, and hydroxybupropion-risperidone) with controls lacking CYP2D6 inhibitors. Associations between inhibitor concentrations and victim drug levels were assessed linearly. Nonlinear regression (four-parameter logistic model) was applied to relate inhibitor concentrations to metabolite-to-parent ratios; when the model fit was adequate, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration/90% inhibitory concentration values were estimated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified inhibitor concentration thresholds for phenoconversion to poor metabolizer status.Hydroxybupropion and doxepin concentrations were positively associated with venlafaxine, risperidone, and venlafaxine active moiety levels (p ≤ 0.02). Adequate sigmoidal curve fitting demonstrated a concentration-dependent inverse association between inhibitor levels and metabolite-to-parent ratios for venlafaxine with hydroxybupropion and doxepin, and risperidone with hydroxybupropion, but not risperidone with doxepin. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values were 120.4 ng/mL and 28.16 ng/mL for hydroxybupropion (venlafaxine and risperidone, respectively) and 24.4 ng/mL for doxepin (venlafaxine). Phenoconversion thresholds were identified for hydroxybupropion (venlafaxine: 328.5 ng/mL and risperidone: 110.5 ng/mL) and doxepin (venlafaxine: 35 ng/mL and risperidone: 70.5 ng/mL).Hydroxybupropion and doxepin exert serum concentration-dependent inhibition of CYP2D6 activity, significantly affecting the metabolism of venlafaxine and risperidone. These effects and a phenoconversion into poor metabolizer status were detectable at subtherapeutic hydroxybupropion and therapeutic antidepressant doxepin levels. Monitoring inhibitor and victim-drug concentrations may aid in managing clinically relevant CYP2D6-mediated interactions.

• Female students consistently outperform male students in creative thinking across 62 countries. • Socio-economic status (SES) is a strong predictor of creative thinking, comparable to mathematics and reading. • Gender and SES effects on creative thinking are stable globally, with minimal moderation by macro-level variables. Even in the time of artificial intelligence, creative thinking is considered an important 21st century skill. Nevertheless, our understanding of how contextual factors such as socio-economic status (SES) and gender affect creativity is still limited – especially from an international perspective. In the current study, we thus examined the impact of gender and SES on creative thinking across 62 countries, using data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Creative thinking, alongside mathematics and reading, was analyzed using a two-stage meta-analytic approach, integrating effect sizes from country-specific samples with a total sample size of N = 493,660. Our results revealed consistent gender disparities, with females outperforming males in creative thinking and reading, a trend robust across countries but with considerable variability. Gender disparities were less pronounced in the mathematical domain. Moreover, SES was found to be a strong predictor of creative thinking, mathematics, and reading, with higher SES associated with better performance across all domains. There was no substantial interaction effect between gender and SES for creative thinking and reading, suggesting that SES advantages are consistent across genders. Our analyses indicated substantial heterogeneity between countries, emphasizing the need for context-specific educational policies. These findings highlight the pervasive influence of gender and SES on fundamental educational outcomes and hence stress the necessity of tailored interventions to address these disparities around the globe.

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the implications of output gap uncertainty for the conduct of fiscal policy using a small‐scale macroeconomic model with boundedly rational agents. Specifically, agents use an adaptive updating mechanism to approximate the unobservable potential output that suffers, similarly to the Hodrick and Prescott (1997) filter, from an end‐point bias. This generates an unintendedly procyclical fiscal policy that affects the government's credibility and by extension the sovereign risk premium. Our simulations highlight the importance of this so‐called bond vigilantes channel, as well as of the government's credibility among financial markets, for the sustainability of government debt and for macroeconomic stability.

Purpose When organizations find their strategic communication efforts unsuccessful, two options seem to dominate: more communication or different communication. This paper challenges these widely accepted assumptions. It contends that the most fundamental alternative to strategic communication is neither to communicate more, nor differently, but rather to abstain from communication altogether. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper develops the concept and forms of strategic non-talking and is intentionally open to a range of theoretical perspectives on strategic communication, including action theory, systems theory and organizational theory. Findings Strategic non-talking is defined as a communicator’s deliberate decision to withhold verbal communication in order to reduce the risk of rejection or to enhance the acceptance of previously proposed options – regardless of whether the recipients expected a message in that situation. Building on this concept, the paper systematically develops twelve distinct forms of strategic non-talking, each illustrated with numerous practical examples. Originality/value The concept of strategic non-talking incorporates, on the one hand, the notion of strategic silence, as established in the literature. This represents the visible tip of the iceberg of non-talking, since the refusal to speak is itself perceived as a communicative act. The larger, invisible, portion of the iceberg is likely more prevalent in communication practice: this is simple strategic non-talking, which remains unnoticed precisely because no message was expected. An example would be a company choosing not to launch a sustainability campaign in order to avoid accusations of greenwashing.