Konjunktur 2011

Die globale Wirtschaftsleistung ist seit Beginn des Jahrtausends jährlich um durchschnittlich 3,6 % gestiegen. Wesentlich ist dies auf die Schwellenund Entwicklungsländer zurückzuführen, die zwischen 2000 und 2008 ein durchschnittliches Wachstum von über 6 % aufwiesen. Auch in der Krise 2009 wuchsen diese Länder um mehr als 21/2 %. Dagegen mussten die Industrieländer, deren durchschnittliches Wachstum lediglich 1,8 % betrug, 2009 einen Rückgang ihrer Wirtschaftskraft um rund 3,2 % hinnehmen. Im Jahr 2010 wird die weltweite Produktion um etwa 4,8 % steigen und 2011 voraussichtlich um 4,2 %. Sowohl die Entwicklungs- als auch die Industrieländer werden 2011, als Folge des nach der Krise eingeleiteten Aufholprozesses, überdurchschnittlich wachsen. Zu den Ländern mit den höchsten Wachstumsraten werden 2011 weiterhin die Schwellenländer - insbesondere China und Indien - gehören. Innerhalb der Industriestaaten wird für Hongkong, Singapur und Korea das höchste Wachstum 2011 erwartet. In den USA und in der Eurozone wird dagegen mit einer vergleichsweise schwachen Erholung der Konjunktur gerechnet. Die Risiken ergeben sich dabei weiterhin aus der hohen staatlichen Verschuldung. --

Coarse‐Grained Refractory Composite Castables Based on Alumina and Niobium

Niobium-alumina composite aggregates with 60 vol% metal content and with particle sizes up to 3150 μm are produced using castable technology followed by sintering, and a crushing and sieving process. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals phase separation during crushing as the niobium:corundum volume ratios is between 37:57 and 64:31 among the 4 produced aggregate classes 0–45, 45–500, 500–1000, and 1000–3150 μm. The synthesized aggregates are used to produce coarse-grained refractory composites in a second casting and sintering step. The fine- and coarse-grained material shows porosities between 32% and 36% with a determined cold modulus of rupture of 20 and 12 MPa, and E-moduli of 37 and 46 GPa, respectively. The synthesized fine-grained composites reached true strain values between 0.08 at 1100 °C and 0.18 at 1500 °C and the coarse-grained ones values between 0.02 and 0.09. The electrical conductivity for the fine-grained and the coarse-grained material is 448±66 and 111±25  S cm$^{−1}$, respectively

Transnationale Bildungsräume

Bildung ist keine interne Angelegenheit einzelner Staaten oder Gesellschaften, sondern ereignet sich über nationale Grenzen hinweg: Fremde Bildungskonzepte und -inhalte werden ausgetauscht, angeeignet oder abgelehnt; Lehrer und Schüler gehen auf Reisen. Dieser Band präsentiert aktuelle, an Transfers und transnationalen Zusammenhängen interessierte Forschungen zu diesem Phänomen: Sieben Fallstudien beleuchten Verflechtungen im Schul- und Hochschulbildungssektor auf europäischer Ebene ebenso wie zwischen Europa und dem Nahen Osten, Nordamerika und Indien. Zwei programmatische Aufsätze führen in den Forschungsstand und in das Konzept der »Bildungsräume« ein

Widespread pesticide distribution in the European atmosphere questions their degradability in air

Risk assessment of pesticide impacts on remote ecosystems makes use of model-estimated degradation in air. Recent studies suggest these degradation rates to be overestimated, questioning current pesticide regulation. Here, we investigated the concentrations of 76 pesticides in Europe at 29 rural, coastal, mountain, and polar sites during the agricultural application season. Overall, 58 pesticides were observed in the European atmosphere. Low spatial variation of 7 pesticides suggests continental-scale atmospheric dispersal. Based on concentrations in free tropospheric air and at Arctic sites, 22 pesticides were identified to be prone to long-range atmospheric transport, which included 15 substances approved for agricultural use in Europe and 7 banned ones. Comparison between concentrations at remote sites and those found at pesticide source areas suggests long atmospheric lifetimes of atrazine, cyprodinil, spiroxamine, tebuconazole, terbuthylazine, and thiacloprid. In general, our findings suggest that atmospheric transport and persistence of pesticides have been underestimated and that their risk assessment needs to be improved

Widespread pesticide distribution in the European atmosphere questions their degradability in air

Risk assessment of pesticide impacts on remote ecosystems makes use of model-estimated degradation in air. Recent studies suggest these degradation rates to be overestimated, questioning current pesticide regulation. Here, we investigated the concentrations of 76 pesticides in Europe at 29 rural, coastal, mountain, and polar sites during the agricultural application season. Overall, 58 pesticides were observed in the European atmosphere. Low spatial variation of 7 pesticides suggests continental-scale atmospheric dispersal. Based on concentrations in free tropospheric air and at Arctic sites, 22 pesticides were identified to be prone to long-range atmospheric transport, which included 15 substances approved for agricultural use in Europe and 7 banned ones. Comparison between concentrations at remote sites and those found at pesticide source areas suggests long atmospheric lifetimes of atrazine, cyprodinil, spiroxamine, tebuconazole, terbuthylazine, and thiacloprid. In general, our findings suggest that atmospheric transport and persistence of pesticides have been underestimated and that their risk assessment needs to be improved

Tumour evolution and novel biomarkers in breast cancer

Several gene signatures have been proposed in the past two decades to improve outcome prediction for breast cancer patients and to guide treatment decisions. Current treatment guidelines, however, primarily focus on established clinicopathological features. In Paper I, we identified a novel 18-marker gene expression signature predicting breast cancer-specific survival. The 18-marker signature was validated in three independent cohorts and showed increased predictive power over the clinically validated Oncotype Dx signature. Despite increasing survival rates, about 6-23% of patients suffer from recurrences within five years of initial diagnosis indicating treatment failure. It is highly important to differentiate between clonally related recurrences and independent primary tumours due to potentially differing prognoses and treatment regimes. Currently, there is no consensus on how to define clonal relatedness between multiple tumours in the same patient. In Paper II, we identified the Similarity Index (SI) as the most reliable tool to classify tumour clonality. The mammary gland is known to be highly sensitive to radiation, especially at a young age. In the years from 1920-1965, a total of 17,200 female Swedish infants were treated with ionizing radiation for skin haemangioma, resulting in an increased risk of developing breast cancer. In Paper III, we analysed breast tumours for genomic instability, which can be induced by ionizing radiation. Patients with higher absorbed doses to the breast exhibited increased genomic instability compared to patients exposed to lower absorbed doses. These results strongly suggest radiation-induced genomic instability as a biological link between ionizing radiation exposure at a young age and the increased breast cancer risk in subsequent decades. In conclusion, this work highlights the importance of complementing established clinicopathological features with molecular biology and statistical models to improve breast cancer risk assessment and personalize treatment strategies

Risk factors for repeated general anesthesia for dental treatment of adult patients with intellectual and/or physical disabilities

Aim!#!Repeated dental treatment of patients with intellectual and/or physical disabilities under general anesthesia (GA) often becomes necessary. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors predictive of repeated dental treatment under general anesthesia.!##!Materials and methods!#!Data of adult patients with intellectual and/or physical disabilities receiving dental treatment under GA within a time period of 7 years were analyzed (n = 203, mean age: 41.0 ± 14.9 years). All patients received comprehensive dental treatment (professional tooth cleaning, periodontal therapy, composite restorations, and/or extractions); patients receiving extractions only for emergency dental care were not included as a second intervention for restorative treatment often followed. Demographic, anamnestic, oral health, and treatment factors were obtained from dental records. Duration of intervals without dental treatment under GA was assessed using Kaplan-Meier statistics. Potential predictive factors were tested using univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses.!##!Results!#!Thirty-five patients (17.2%) received a second and five patients (2.5%) a third dental treatment under GA during that period. In the univariate analysis, patients' age, living situation, and nutrition were associated with repeated GA. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, only nutrition remained significant. Risk for repeated treatment increased if patients were tube-fed (HR: 7.54, p = 0.001) or received pureed/liquid food (HR: 4.32, p = 0.007) compared to nutrition without limitation.!##!Conclusion!#!In adult patients with intellectual and/or physical disabilities, nutrition affects the risk for repeated dental treatment under GA.!##!Clinical relevance!#!Identification of risk factors making repeated dental treatment under GA of patients with intellectual and/or physical disabilities more likely is essential to adjust preventive measures