A STEAM Practice Approach to Integrate Architecture, Culture and History on a Mathematical Problem-Solving Basis

In this paper we propose STEAM practices that would foster mathematics learning through modelling architecture while connecting to culture and history. The architectural modelling process is applied by the teachers as participants of these practices from different countries allowing a broad cultural and historical connection to mathematics education. The modelling is implemented in GeoGebra platform as it is an open-source platform to allow teachers to model on a mathematics basis. The architectural modelling process does not provide participants with steps to follow but rather allows them to explore the architectural models’ components and construct them with various approaches which may foster problem solving techniques. We aim to investigate how different phases of this approach (such as motivation, modeling, and printing process) reflect on opportunities of learning in STEAM education, with a particular lens in mathematical development from open tasks. This paper will show two use cases that took place in Upper Austria and the MENA region.

Epidemiology of Antepartum Stillbirths in Austria—A Population-Based Study between 2008 and 2020

(1) Background: Across Europe, the incidence of antepartum stillbirth varies greatly, partly because of heterogeneous definitions regarding gestational weeks and differences in legislation. With this study, we sought to provide a comprehensive overview on the demographics of antepartum stillbirth in Austria, defined as non-iatrogenic fetal demise ≥22+0 gestational weeks (/40). (2) Methods: We conducted a population-based study on epidemiological characteristics of singleton antepartum stillbirth in Austria between January 2008 and December 2020. Data were derived from the validated Austrian Birth Registry. (3) Results: From January 2008 through December 2020, the antepartum stillbirth rate ≥20+0/40 was 3.10, ≥22+0/40 3.14, and ≥24+0/40 2.83 per 1000 births in Austria. The highest incidence was recorded in the federal states of Vienna, Styria, and Lower and Upper Austria, contributing to 71.9% of all stillbirths in the country. In the last decade, significant fluctuations in incidence were noted: from 2011 to 2012, the rate significantly declined from 3.40 to 3.07‰, whilst it significantly increased from 2.76 to 3.49‰ between 2019 and 2020. The median gestational age of antepartum stillbirth in Austria was 33+0 (27+2–37+4) weeks. Stillbirth rates ≤26/40 ranged from 164.98 to 334.18‰, whilst the lowest rates of 0.58–8.4‰ were observed ≥36/40. The main demographic risk factors were maternal obesity and low parity. (4) Conclusions: In Austria, the antepartum stillbirth rate has remained relatively stable at 2.83–3.10 per 1000 births for the last decade, despite a significant decline in 2012 and an increase in 2020.

Indications of Deep Marine Fans in the Early Miocene Foredeep of Lower Austria: A Potential New Play

The petroleum province in Lower Austria resulted from the Alpine collision and the subsequent formation of the Vienna Basin. OMV is active in this area since its foundation in 1956. Several plays have been successfully tested and produced in this complex geological region. The main exploration focus is currently on the deep plays. However, this paper proposes a so far unrecognized and therefore undrilled play in a shallower level to broaden OMV's portfolio in Austria. Seismic re-interpretations of reprocessed 3D seismic data and structural reconstructions were used to review some of the existing plays and get novel ideas from improved understanding of processes. In the frontal accretion zone of the Alpine wedge, the Waschberg-Ždánice zone discoveries are limited to the frontal thrust unit and associated structures. The more internal parts of the thrust belt have only sparsely been drilled and are perceived not to have high-quality reservoir rocks. The detailed structural interpretations indicated that the foredeep axis during the Early Miocene was positioned in the thrust sheet located directly in front of the advancing Alpine wedge (comprising the eroding Rhenodanubian Flysch in its frontal part). Seismic amplitude anomalies can be interpreted to represent Lower Miocene basin floor and slope fans. Nearby wells did not penetrate these fans but drilled instead shale-dominated lithologies. Thus, the presence of potential sand-rich fans in front of the advancing alpine wedge is considered a potential new play in Lower Austria. Analogues are found in Upper Austria some 250 km to the West, where several large gas fields in Lower Miocene deposits located in front of the advancing Alpine wedge have been discovered by another operator. In that area the fans are only partly involved in the fold-thrust belt. In Lower Austria, these fans are located within the rear thrust sheet(s), providing a structural component to a mixed structural-stratigraphic trap. Two potential charge mechanism can be considered: a) biogenic gas charge from the organic matter of surrounding shales (like the Upper Austria analogues) or b) oil charge via the thrust fault planes from the Jurassic Mikulov Formation (the proven main source rock in the broader area). Our results add to the understanding of the Miocene structural-stratigraphic evolution of the Alpine collision zone. The definition of a potential new play may add significant value to OMV's upstream efforts in a very mature hydrocarbon province.

“An Unbendable Strength in Our Rosary”

The struggle to resist dehumanization and maintain a sense of identity and dignity in the German concentration camps has been a key theme in survivor testimonies. Some prisoners assert the paramount importance of religious faith in mustering the inner strength needed to survive. However, the clandestine nature of religious practice in the camps has meant that memoirs provide only fragmentary glimpses of these practices and their significance in the camps. This article seeks to reconstruct a fuller picture of the religious life of Catholic Poles at the Gusen Concentration Camp in Upper Austria from 1940 to 1945. In particular, the article focuses on the activities of a living rosary group organized by Wacław Milke and Władysław Gębik. This group was unusual in the breadth of its activities and its extensive network of contacts. Not only did it organize religious devotions, but it also provided life-saving practical assistance to other prisoners.

Emergence of Parafilaria bovicola in Austria

Veterinarians reported cases of cutaneous bleeding in cattle in Austria in the spring and summer of 2020. It was our goal to confirm the tentative diagnosis of parafilariosis by identifying Parafilaria bovicola in exudate samples using molecular methods for the first time in Austria. We asked veterinarians in the field to collect exudate from typical lesions on cattle. We performed polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and sequenced a 674-bp section of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I in all positive samples. Overall, in 57 of 86 samples, P. bovicola was confirmed by PCR in cattle from Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria, Salzburg, Carinthia, and Tyrol. Sequencing detected four different haplotypes or genotypes, respectively, indicating multiple routes of introduction. We conclude that parafilariosis has spread in Austria and we expect that the number of reports of clinical signs and losses due to carcass damage will increase in the future.

Investigations on the occurrence of a muscular disorder in Austrian slaughter pigs

Background In slaughterhouse, veterinarians responsible for meat inspection are often confronted with abnormalities in carcasses, not only in pigs but in all livestock species. In 2017, a veterinarian responsible for meat inspection in a slaughterhouse in Styria, Austria, observed gluteal muscles infiltrated by fat and muscle tissue obviously being replaced by fat in two different slaughter pigs. These muscles were sent for further diagnostics to the University Clinic for Swine. Results The two muscle samples were investigated histopathologically and diagnosed with fatty muscular dystrophy. The results of routine histopathology were confirmed by dystrophin-specific immunohistochemistry. Sex of the two affected animals was determined retrospectively using a PCR-based protocol and resulted in one male and one female pig. A survey to determine the prevalence of fatty muscular disorders of pork revealed that this phenomenon gets frequently observed in Styria, but also occurs in Upper Austria and Lower Austria. Mostly gluteal and lumbal muscles were affected and approximately 20–40% of the affected muscles were replaced by fat. Conclusions Fatty muscular dystrophy or muscular steatosis, as it was sometimes called in early literature, seems not to be an uncommon and rare event and is known to have several different causes. As it was detected in both sexes, our observations are different to the described case in Japan, where only one male individual was affected. To avoid further increase of such cases (fatty muscular dystrophy), it would be useful to clarify the cause. First, whether the cause is environmental or genetic, and in case it is genetic it would be key to disentangle the underlying genomic architecture. Having causal variants described—one could think about integrating this information (depending on the mode of inheritance and the number of loci involved) in the breeding program of pigs. Furthermore, the proportion of non-Austrian pig genetics used for commercial pig production in Austria should be reviewed in order to be able to make reliable statements about the spread of the disease not only in Austrian pig breeds, but also in pig breeds worldwide.

Development and Implementation of a Low-Cost Tracking System after Newborn Hearing Screening in Upper Austria: Lessons Learned from the Perspective of an Early Intervention Provider

More than one decade after the introduction of newborn hearing screening in Upper Austria, most children were still older than 6 months at enrolment in early intervention. In this study, under the guidance of health authorities, a revised screening and tracking protocol was developed by a network of early intervention providers and representatives of ENT, obstetrics, and pediatrics, including screening professionals and parents of children with hearing loss. Critical process indicators following internationally recommended benchmarks were defined and collected annually by the health authorities. Due to data protection issues, the data collection system was not personalized. Regular network meetings, case-oriented meetings, and screener training sessions were held. As a result, even without additional costs and within the legal constraints related to data protection in Austria, the proportion of children enrolled in early intervention before 6 months of age was significantly increased from 26% to 81% in two representative birth cohorts before and after the introduction of the new protocol, respectively. The coverage for bilateral screening increased from 91.4 to 97.6% of the total number of births.

A Spatially Highly Resolved Ground Mounted and Rooftop Potential Analysis for Photovoltaics in Austria

Austria aims to meet 100% of its electricity demand from domestic renewable sources by 2030 which means, that an additional 27 TWh/a of renewable electricity generation are required, thereof 11 TWh/a from photovoltaic. While some federal states and municipalities released a solar rooftop cadastre, there is lacking knowledge on the estimation of the potential of both, ground mounted installations and rooftop modules, on a national level with a high spatial resolution. As a first, in this work data on agricultural land-use is combined with highly resolved data on buildings on a national level. Our results show significant differences between urban and rural areas, as well as between the Alpine regions and the Prealpine- and Easter Plain areas. Rooftop potential concentrates in the big urban areas, but also in densely populated areas in Lower- and Upper Austria, Styria and the Rhine valley of Vorarlberg. The ground mounted photovoltaic potential is highest in Eastern Austria. This potential is geographically consistent with the demand and allows for a production close to the consumer. In theory, the goal of meeting 11 TWh/a in 2030 can be achieved solely with the rooftop PV potential. However, considering the necessary installation efforts, the associated costs of small and dispersed production units and finally the inherent uncertainty with respect to the willingness of tens of thousands of individual households to install PV systems, installing the necessary solar PV on buildings alone is constrained.