Analysis of Peculiarities of the Stellar Velocity Field in the Solar Neighborhood

Based on a new version of the Hipparcos catalogue and an updated Geneva-Copenhagen survey of F and G dwarfs, we analyze the space velocity field of about 17000 single stars in the solar neighborhood. The main known clumps, streams, and branches (Pleiades, Hyades, Sirius, Coma Berenices, Hercules, Wolf 630-alpha Ceti, and Arcturus) have been identified using various approaches. The evolution of the space velocity field for F and G dwarfs has been traced as a function of the stellar age. We have managed to confirm the existence of the recently discovered KFR08 stream. We have found 19 Hipparcos stars, candidates for membership in the KFR08 stream, and obtained an isochrone age estimate for the stream, 13 Gyr. The mean stellar ages of the Wolf 630-alpha Ceti and Hercules streams are shown to be comparable, 4--6 Gyr. No significant differences in the metallicities of stars belonging to these streams have been found. This is an argument for the hypothesis that these streams owe their origin to a common mechanism.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figure

National public health system responses to diabetes and other important noncommunicable diseasesNationale Public-Health-Maßnahmen für Diabetes und andere wichtige nichtübertragbare Krankheiten

&lt;p&gt;Diabetes mellitus and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) represent an emerging global public health challenge. In Germany, about 6.7 million adults are affected by diabetes according to national health surveys, including 1.3 million with undiagnosed diabetes. Complications of diabetes result in an increasing burden for individuals and society as well as enormous costs for the health care system. In response, the Federal Ministry of Health commissioned the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) to implement a&amp;nbsp;diabetes surveillance system and the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) to develop a&amp;nbsp;diabetes prevention strategy. In a&amp;nbsp;two-day workshop jointly organized by the RKI and the BZgA, representatives from public health institutes in seven countries shared their expertise and knowledge on diabetes prevention and surveillance. Day one focused on NCD surveillance systems and emphasized both the strengthening of sustainable data sources and the timely and targeted dissemination of results using innovative formats. The second day focused on diabetes prevention strategies and highlighted the importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in the development process to facilitate its acceptance and implementation. Furthermore, the effective translation of prevention measures into real-world settings requires data from surveillance systems to identify high-risk groups and evaluate the effect of measures at the population level based on analyses of time trends in risk factors and disease outcomes. Overall, the workshop highlighted the close link between diabetes prevention strategies and surveillance systems. It was generally stated that only robust data enables effective prevention measures to encounter the increasing burden from diabetes and other NCDs.&lt;/p&gt;</p

Data Collection With Indigenous People:Fieldwork Experiences From Chile

At present, the Mapuche are the largest indigenous group living in Chile and, up until the present day, they are considered a disadvantaged group in Chilean society in terms of poverty, education and discrimination indicators. In recent decades, this group has been involved in a violent conflict with the Chilean state, forestry and hydroelectric industries and big landowners due mainly to territorial claims of the ancestral land that is currently inhabited and exploited by these different actors. In the present chapter, we narrate the process of data collection with indigenous participants within the framework of a three-year long project about representations of history and present-day intergroup relations between the Mapuche and the non-indigenous majority in Chile. We focus on the challenges that data collection involved by highlighting the process of participant recruitment and trust issues revolving around data collection, as well as retribution practices. Moreover, we also highlight the pros and cons of having non-indigenous Chilean and international researchers conducting fieldwork in this context. Another aspect we address is how methodological approaches may influence the data quality and participants’ degree of involvement with the project, by highlighting how these issues interconnect with cultural differences and this indigenous group’s worldview and cultural practices. We hope this chapter may provide significant insights on how to deal with some of the difficulties that data collection with indigenous people may involve.<br/