Beratung für Umstellungsentscheidungen

Presently the value of the organic food market in Germany is approximately 5.8 billion Euros and is growing, but this growth is not reflected in the number of organic farmers. In order to raise the number of organic farmers, organic extension plays an important role. The extension system of organic farming is partly linked to the conventional system; for example organic extensionists are employed by the Chamber of Agriculture. In addition to this, a separate organic extension system exists, organized by the organic farm associations. The key questions of the study are: how to reach conventional apprentices and farmers from the organic-extension point of view, and how to enhance their decision-making authority in terms of conversion. The overall goal is that apprentices and farmers feel competent in their ability to make a decision: conversion, yes or no. Based on empirical data, we have formulated different types of conventional apprentices and farmers, all of whom need different types of information. Consequently, there is not a single approach to optimize initial contact. The intervention mechanisms for organic extension have to be diverse

How can consumer trust in organic products be enhanced?

The study presented explores consumer trust in organic food and the effectiveness of enhancing consumer trust by communication strategies on traceability. The research is based on the general finding that trust is one of the most crucial aspects when consumer decide whether to buy or not to buy organic products. However, there are hardly any empirical works which analyse in detail consumer trust in organic food and the ways it can be enhanced. First, based on a quantitative inquiry of 600 persons in Germany the study presented investigates consumer trust in the different actors involved in the organic supply chain (farmers, processors, traders, labels), in distinct attributed qualities such as benefits for health, ecology and animal welfare as well as the customers’ criteria for assessing trustworthiness of the organic products. Empirical data is analysed by multivariate statistics such as cluster analysis to identify distinct consumer segments with respect to their trust characteristics. In a second step there will be a qualitative research method using interviews combined with a visualizing technique. The aim of this method is to understand the consumers’ attitudes towards the supply chain of organic food and the complex construct of trust better. The results shall help to develop communication strategies for enhancing consumer trust in organic food

Verbrauchervertrauen in Biolebensmittel

Heutzutage existiert ein sehr komplexer und anonymer Lebensmittelmarkt. Somit ist das Vertrauen in Lebensmittel für den Verbraucher zu einem Schlüsselproblem bei seiner Lebensmittelauswahl geworden. Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob Verbraucher dem Produktionsprozess von Biolebensmitteln oder dem Produkt als solches vertrauen. Weiterhin soll der Einfluss von Rückverfolgbarkeitssystemen auf den Kaufentscheidungsprozess untersucht werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Verbraucher in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt werden können, Verbraucher die dem Produktionsprozess vertrauen und Verbraucher, die dem Produkt vertrauen. Bezogen auf Rückverfolgbarkeitssysteme wird deutlich, dass sie im Prozess der Kaufentscheidung des Verbrauchers für oder gegen Biolebensmittel keine bedeutsame Rolle spielen. Allerdings ist die Herkunft des Lebensmittels, wie regionale Herkunft oder Ursprungsland, ein wichtiges Kriterium bei der Entscheidung des Verbrauchers für oder gegen ein Lebensmittel. Die Ergebnisse der Studie sollen helfen, Kommunikationsstrategien für die Stärkung des Verbrauchervertrauens in Biolebensmittel zu entwickeln

Systemaufstellungen als innovatives Beratungsinstrument im ökologischen Landbau

Das Projekt zielte auf die Erprobung und Verbreitung von Systemaufstellungen im Kontext der ökologischen Landwirtschaft. Systemaufstellungen werden heute in der Familientherapie, aber zunehmend auch in Organisationsentwicklung und Wirtschaftsberatung angewendet. Dabei stellt eine Person – unter professioneller Anleitung - die zentralen Elemente einer Situation mit Stellvertretern im Raum auf. Es entwickelt sich eine Dynamik, die zu überraschenden Einsichten und neuen Handlungsmöglichkeiten führen kann. Das Projekt hat Systemaufstellungen im Kontext Landwirtschaft erprobt und auf Wirkungen untersucht. In drei Werkstattseminaren stellten Bäuerinnen und Bauern oder auch Berater ihre „Anliegen“ auf, so z.B. Umstellungen auf ökologischen Landbau, Hofnachfolge, Situationen der Existenzsicherung oder Familienkrisen. Die Aufstellungen erwiesen sich als ein schnell und tief wirkender Prozess. Verborgene betriebliche oder familiäre Zusammenhänge wurden sichtbar. Nach den Aufstellungen zeigten die Teilnehmer in der Regel ein stärkeres Selbstbewusstsein, größere Entschlussfreudigkeit sowie mehr Kreativität und Aktivität. Dadurch kam es zu Änderungen auch in der betrieblichen Praxis. Systemaufstellungen erschließen Lösungspotenziale, die zu einer Stärkung des ökologischen Landbaus und der Landwirtschaft generell beitragen können. Neue Projekte und Allianzen werden leichter möglich. Wichtige Voraussetzungen zum Gelingen von Systemaufstellungen sind das Interesse der Teilnehmer an einer neuen Erfahrung und die Kompetenz der Aufstellungsleiter

Transparent Food and Consumer Trust

Nowadays the food market is very complex and anonymous. Consequently, consumer trust in food has become a key issue for food choice. For example, the production process of food is not always transparent for consumers. To provide more transparency and to enhance consumer trust, different initiatives communicating traceability to the consumers exist. Visualised traceability systems such as the initiative ‘Bio mit Gesicht’ allow consumers to gather information about the farmer who has produced the food as well as information about his farm and family.This study explores consumer trust in organic food, the impact of trust in the buying decision and the effectiveness of enhancing consumer trust by communication strategies on traceability. The research is grounded on the general finding that trust is one of the most crucial aspects when consumers decide whether or not to buy organic products. The study consists of two tasks, a quantitative and a qualitative survey. In this paper the focus is laid on the second task, a qualitative survey. The used method is the structure formationtechnique. The aim is to combine an interview with a visualising technique. With the help of this method the factors which influence the decision of consumers to buy or not to buy organic food should become clear. Furthermore, the role of trust in the buying decision will be explored. Moreover, an investigation should be made as to whether or not traceability systems influence consumer trust in organic food. This research is currently being conducted but preliminary results can already be presented.The results of the study will help develop communication strategies for enhancing consumer trust in organic food

Wie lässt sich das Vertrauen der Konsumenten in Bio-Lebensmittel erhöhen?

Trust is seen as one of the most crucial aspects when consumers decide whether or not to buy organic products. Our research investigates consumer trust in organic food and the effectiveness of enhancing consumer trust by communication strategies on traceability in a quantitative survey of 900 consumers in Germany. The survey focuses on consumer trust in the different actors involved in the organic supply chain as well as on criteria for assessing trustworthiness of organic products. The data analysis includes descriptive statistics and correlation analysis as well as multivariate analysis to identify distinct consumer segments with respect to specific trust characteristics and organic food consumption frequency. The results shall contribute to develop communication strategies for enhancing consumer trust in organic food

Tetraspanin 3: A central endocytic membrane component regulating the expression of ADAM10, presenilin and the amyloid precursor protein

Despite existing knowledge about the role of the A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) as the α-secretase involved in the non-amyloidogenic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch signalling we have only limited information about its regulation. In this study, we have identified ADAM10 interactors using a split ubiquitin yeast two hybrid approach. Tetraspanin 3 (Tspan3), which is highly expressed in the murine brain and elevated in brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, was identified and confirmed to bind ADAM10 by co-immunoprecipitation experiments in mammalian cells in complex with APP and the γ-secretase protease presenilin. Tspan3 expression increased the cell surface levels of its interacting partners and was mainly localized in early and late endosomes. In contrast to the previously described ADAM10-binding tetraspanins, Tspan3 did not affect the endoplasmic reticulum to plasma membrane transport of ADAM10. Heterologous Tspan3 expression significantly increased the appearance of carboxy-terminal cleavage products of ADAM10 and APP, whereas N-cadherin ectodomain shedding appeared unaffected. Inhibiting the endocytosis of Tspan3 by mutating a critical cytoplasmic tyrosine-based internalization motif led to increased surface expression of APP and ADAM10. After its downregulation in neuroblastoma cells and in brains of Tspan3-deficient mice, ADAM10 and APP levels appeared unaltered possibly due to a compensatory increase in the expression of Tspans 5 and 7, respectively. In conclusion, our data suggest that Tspan3 acts in concert with other tetraspanins as a stabilizing factor of active ADAM10, APP and the γ-secretase complex at the plasma membrane and within the endocytic pathway

Clinical-grade Detection of Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Tumors by Deep Learning

Background and Aims: Microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch-repair deficiency (dMMR) in colorectal tumors are used to select treatment for patients. Deep learning can detect MSI and dMMR in tumor samples on routine histology slides faster and cheaper than molecular assays. But clinical application of this technology requires high performance and multisite validation, which have not yet been performed. Methods: We collected hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, and findings from molecular analyses for MSI and dMMR, from 8836 colorectal tumors (of all stages) included in the MSIDETECT consortium study, from Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Specimens with dMMR were identified by immunohistochemistry analyses of tissue microarrays for loss of MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and/or PMS2. Specimens with MSI were identified by genetic analyses. We trained a deep-learning detector to identify samples with MSI from these slides; performance was assessed by cross-validation (n=6406 specimens) and validated in an external cohort (n=771 specimens). Prespecified endpoints were area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC). Results: The deep-learning detector identified specimens with dMMR or MSI with a mean AUROC curve of 0.92 (lower bound 0.91, upper bound 0.93) and an AUPRC of 0.63 (range, 0.59–0.65), or 67% specificity and 95% sensitivity, in the cross-validation development cohort. In the validation cohort, the classifier identified samples with dMMR with an AUROC curve of 0.95 (range, 0.92–0.96) without image-preprocessing and an AUROC curve of 0.96 (range, 0.93–0.98) after color normalization. Conclusions: We developed a deep-learning system that detects colorectal cancer specimens with dMMR or MSI using hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides; it detected tissues with dMMR with an AUROC of 0.96 in a large, international validation cohort. This system might be used for high-throughput, low-cost evaluation of colorectal tissue specimens

Broadband Multi-wavelength Properties of M87 during the 2017 Event Horizon Telescope Campaign

Abstract: In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration succeeded in capturing the first direct image of the center of the M87 galaxy. The asymmetric ring morphology and size are consistent with theoretical expectations for a weakly accreting supermassive black hole of mass ∼6.5 × 109 M ⊙. The EHTC also partnered with several international facilities in space and on the ground, to arrange an extensive, quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign. This Letter presents the results and analysis of this campaign, as well as the multi-wavelength data as a legacy data repository. We captured M87 in a historically low state, and the core flux dominates over HST-1 at high energies, making it possible to combine core flux constraints with the more spatially precise very long baseline interferometry data. We present the most complete simultaneous multi-wavelength spectrum of the active nucleus to date, and discuss the complexity and caveats of combining data from different spatial scales into one broadband spectrum. We apply two heuristic, isotropic leptonic single-zone models to provide insight into the basic source properties, but conclude that a structured jet is necessary to explain M87’s spectrum. We can exclude that the simultaneous γ-ray emission is produced via inverse Compton emission in the same region producing the EHT mm-band emission, and further conclude that the γ-rays can only be produced in the inner jets (inward of HST-1) if there are strongly particle-dominated regions. Direct synchrotron emission from accelerated protons and secondaries cannot yet be excluded

Agricultural Training in Myanmar: Extension Agent’s Perceptions of Training Needs.

Abstrac