Betriebliche Verrentungspraktiken zwischen arbeitsmarkt- und rentenpolitischen Interessen (The retirement practices of firms caught between labour market and retirement policy interests)

"The particularly large decrease in the labour force participation of older workers since the mid-70s in the Federal Republic of Germany is primarily due to institutional policy factors. To contract the current problems of mass unemployment, legislators demanded policies for reducing the overall economic supply of labour. Regulations for 'externalising', i.e. shedding older workers through laws such as the 'Retirement Pensions for the Unemployed' or the 'Law on Early Retirement played an essential role here. However, the cost burdens on the statutory pension schemes resulting from these early retirement policies and the expected demographic development have more recently led legislators to enact measures in the opposite direction, in other words, to extend working life. The 'Pension Reform Act of 1992', including amongst other things a new regulation of the additional earnings limit through the introduction of partial pensions, has led to a competitive situation in the legal regulations, which is geared either to labour market policy needs or to retirement policy standpoints. This paper studies how the existing retirement schemes can be used at the micro-level by individual firms. The most important results from the social sciences literature were first compiled. Then the results from two of our own exploratory surveys on the staff reduction policies and the employment policies of insurance firms were included. The studies show that older workers are being shed early on a large scale by the firms - irregardless of the situation of individual firms, their specific sector or the qualification structure of their workforce. An extension of working life, on the other hand, plays no role at the moment. Acommon basis is found in the shedding of older employees both from the point of view of the firm as well as of the employee: The point of staff reduction for employers is to create a 'younger' workforce. Anumber of the older employees is happy to leave the firms 'treadmill', others succumb to social pressure from their younger colleagues and the members of the works' council to accept the alternative status of the financially very secure 'early pensioner' and hence contribute to the preservation of jobs for younger colleagues. The partial pension as a means of extending working life has played no role up to now in the insurance firms studied, because it is financially unattractive and the requirements for claiming it are too high. Instead, the workforce is 'relieved' through early retirement by a financially much more attractively structured early retirement agreement. The firm's management is in favour of retiring older workers early in order to improve their qualification structure by hiring younger workers. Who will suffer most from these policies of shedding workers cannot be calculated by the desicion- makers in the firms. They use the existing legal instruments for the needs of their res-pective firms, which are not (yet) directed toward preserving the labour force potential. As a consequence, measures for prolonging working life are not likely to be applied in firms, as long as employment policy pressures can yield to management policies of shedding workers, because financially more attractively structured instruments are available from the legislators (through the Employment Promotion Act) or from management and labour representatives (through early retirement agreements)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))ältere Arbeitnehmer, Berufsausstieg, Vorruhestand, gleitender Ruhestand, Rentenpolitik, Personalabbau, Teilrente, Arbeitsmarktpolitik

Le profil de motivation des usagers de services d'éducation populaire

Cette recherche s'intéresse à la motivation des individus à recourir aux services de formation dans les organismes autonomes d'éducation populaire plutôt que la formation officielle d'éducation institutionnalisée. Cette clientèle d'adultes, provenant de milieux défavorisés économiquement et culturellement, contacte les organismes populaires non pour s'insérer dans un processus éducatif comme ces organismes ont pour mission de le faire à travers leurs activités, mais pour trouver un remède immédiat à certains de ses problèmes. Pourtant malgré cette contradiction, un grand nombre d'usagers participent aux activités de formation. On peut se demander ce qui motive ces individus? En nous référant aux théories de l'apprentissage en andragogie, à la théorie de motivation de Deci, et au continuum d'auto-détermination décrit par Vallerand, nous avons formulé une question pour orienter nos recherches. Nous nous sommes demandé si les usagers des services d'éducation populaire, au moment où ils contactent ces organismes pour résoudre leurs problèmes, ont un très bas niveau d'autodétermination à apprendre, et si leur autodétermination augmente au fur et à mesure qu'ils renforcent leur concept de soi et qu'ils participent aux activités éducatives. La recherche a donc pour but d'identifier le profil de motivation des usagers des services d'éducation populaire en décrivant la dynamique motivationnelle à différentes phases de leur participation aux activités éducatives. Pour répondre à la question de recherche, nous avons entrepris une étude sur terrain avec des entrevues semi-dirigées pour nous permettre de recueillir des données sur la motivation des usagers à participer aux activités. Nous avons complété cette démarche par une entrevue structurée qui nous a permis de décrire le profil socio-économique de l'enquêté. Le contenu des entretiens a été analysé en fonction du continuum d'autodétermination défini par Vallerand (1993). Selon nos résultats, les usagers étaient généralement motivés extrinsèquement (régulation externe introjectée) lorsqu'ils contactent un organisme d'éducation populaire. Au fur et à mesure qu'ils participent aux activités éducatives, leur auto-détermination augmente. Ce changement d'auto-détermination est dû à un changement de perception de soi. Dans plusieurs cas, nous avons observé que le plaisir d'apprendre devient une récompense déterminante du nouveau comportement. Il informe l'individu sur son efficacité et ses sentiments de compétence et d'autodétermination augmentent en conséquence. Ces personnes développent un goût d'apprendre davantage et continuent à participer aux activités éducatives pour ensuite aider à leur tour d'autres usagers en crise

Negative or positive effects of plantation and intensive forestry\ud on biodiversity: A matter of scale and perspective

Terrestrial biodiversity is closely linked to forest ecosystems but anthropogenic reductions in forest cover and changes in forest structure and composition jeopardize their biodiversity. Several forest species are threatened because of reduced habitat quality and fragmentation or even habitat loss as a result of forest management activities. In response to this threat, integrated forest management (IFM) was developed in the early 1990s and has been applied over large spatial scales ever since. While IFM seeks to satisfy both human resource demands and ecosystem integrity, the whole forest matrix is affected and this may also have negative impacts on biodiversity. The concept of forest zoning (e.g., Triad) avoids these issues by physically separating land uses from each other. The zoning approach has been developed in the same period as IFM, but there are still very few examples of large-scale applications. This may be because its distinctiveness from IFM may not always seem clear and because forest zoning is not easily implemented. Here we explain these differences and show that IFM and the zoning approach are indeed different management paradigms. We advocate the use of high-yield plantations within the zoning paradigm as a means for biodiversity conservation and review the literature (with an emphasis on the northern hemisphere and on plantation forestry within a land-zoning approach) on impacts of forest management activities on biodiversity. Furthermore, we give advice on issues that require consideration when implementing forest zoning at both the stand and the landscape levels. We recommend several small changes in design and management of forest plantations as a means to significantly increase their biodiversity value. We conclude that while forest zoning seems an adequate strategy for the Canadian forestry sector, a shift in paradigm must carry over to policy-makers and legislation if this approach is to succeed

Intrinsic Conformational Energetics Associated with the Glycosyl Torsion in DNA: A Quantum Mechanical Study

AbstractThe glycosyl torsion (χ) in nucleic acids has long been recognized to be a major determinant of their conformational properties. χ torsional energetics were systematically mapped in deoxyribonucleosides using high-level quantum mechanical methods, for north and south sugar puckers and with γ in the g+ and trans conformations. In all cases, the syn conformation is found higher in energy than the anti. When γ is changed from g+ to trans, the anti orientation of the base is strongly destabilized, and the energy difference and barrier between anti and syn are significantly decreased. The barrier between anti and syn in deoxyribonucleosides is found to be less than 10kcal/mol and tends to be lower with purines than with pyrimidines. With γ=g+/χ=anti, a south sugar yields a significantly broader energy well than a north sugar with no energy barrier between χ values typical of A or B DNA. Contrary to the prevailing view, the syn orientation is not more stable with south puckers than with north puckers. The syn conformation is significantly more energetically accessible with guanine than with adenine in 5-nucleotides but not in nucleosides. Analysis of nucleic acid crystal structures shows that γ=trans/χ=anti is a minor but not negligible conformation. Overall, χ appears to be a very malleable structural parameter with the experimental χ distributions reflecting, to a large extent, the associated intrinsic torsional energetics

Characterization of an 80-kD Membrane Glycoprotein (GP80) of Human Keratinocytes: A Marker for Commitment to Terminal Differentiation In Vivo and In Vitro

We have characterized an 80-kD cell-surface glycoprotein (gp80) identified by monoclonal antibody BT 15, the expression of which is closely associated with a commitment to terminal squamous or follicular differentiation of keratinocytes in normal adult and fetal human epidermis. Maximum expression was found in the suprabasal layers, but basal cells located at the epidermal sulci were also clearly positive, in contrast to the virtually negative basal cells at the epidermal ridges. This protein was also present in benign hyperproliferative disorders of the epidermis (i.e., common warts, keratoacanthoma, psoriasis, and seborrhoic keratoses) with monoclonal antibody BT 15 preferentially staining suprabasal cells and some basal cells at the epidermal sulci. Gp80 was completely lacking in most basal cell carcinomas; the only exceptions were two cases of partially cornifying tumors that were strongly stained around keratotic pearls. In squamous cell carcinomas, gp80 was expressed in keratinized areas of the tumors. In organotypic keratinocyte cultures that resemble the in vivo situation, gp80 was strongly expressed in the suprabasal layers. However, unlike known markers for tenainal differentiation, gp80 was weakly expressed by basal cells. Synthesis rates of gp80 were high in keratinocyte cell suspensions freshly prepared from skin, and decreased in primary cultures and first and second subcultures (ratio 10:4:2:1). Elevated concentrations of the Ca++ that increased stratification of cultured keratinocytes resulted in a two- to threefold increase of gp80 synthesis. Gp80 was not synthesized at detectable levels by the immortal keratinocyte cell line HaCaT; however, it was expressed in HaCaT cultures treated with mitomycin C, indicating an association with cessation of growth. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that gp80 is synthesized from a 55-kD precursor molecule, the maturation of which was prevented by treating cells with tunicamycin. Glycosidase digestion of BT 15 immunoprecipitates from untreated cells indicated that the predominant post-translational modification of the protein is N-linked glycosylation. Our data indicate that gp80 is a glycoprotein that is expressed by growth-arrested human keratinocytes or as part of the terminal differentiation program

How Cations Can Assist DNase I in DNA Binding and Hydrolysis

DNase I requires Ca2+ and Mg2+ for hydrolyzing double-stranded DNA. However, the number and the location of DNase I ion-binding sites remain unclear, as well as the role of these counter-ions. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that bovine pancreatic (bp) DNase I contains four ion-binding pockets. Two of them strongly bind Ca2+ while the other two sites coordinate Mg2+. These theoretical results are strongly supported by revisiting crystallographic structures that contain bpDNase I. One Ca2+ stabilizes the functional DNase I structure. The presence of Mg2+ in close vicinity to the catalytic pocket of bpDNase I reinforces the idea of a cation-assisted hydrolytic mechanism. Importantly, Poisson-Boltzmann-type electrostatic potential calculations demonstrate that the divalent cations collectively control the electrostatic fit between bpDNase I and DNA. These results improve our understanding of the essential role of cations in the biological function of bpDNase I. The high degree of conservation of the amino acids involved in the identified cation-binding sites across DNase I and DNase I-like proteins from various species suggests that our findings generally apply to all DNase I-DNA interactions

Prolactin secretory rhythm in women: immediate and long-term alterations after sexual contact

BACKGROUND Prolactin (PRL) is one of the most versatile hormones in the mammalian body, affecting reproductive, sexual and other functions. In rats, mating or vaginocervical stimulation activates a characteristic PRL secretory pattern for several days, which is essential for successful reproduction. Although the underlying mechanisms appear to be different, PRL is also crucial for human fertility. We have detected a PRL increase in women induced by sexual intercourse. Extending these findings, the current study aimed at analyzing the PRL secretory rhythm after sexual contact, in order to elucidate whether human females also show long-term alterations of the PRL secretory pattern. METHODS In a pilot study, serial blood samples were taken from women (n= 7) in mid-cycle to assess changes in PRL secretory rhythm induced by sexual intercourse, during a period of 32 h. RESULTS Compared with control condition, sexual intercourse with orgasm induced not only the well-established immediate PRL increase of ∼300% but also an additional PRL elevation around noon of the next day (P< 0.05). These fluctuations were measured on top of the regular circadian rhythm of PRL, manifested as a surge early in the morning. CONCLUSIONS We are able to demonstrate a long-term change in the PRL secretory rhythm after sexual intercourse with orgasm in females, suggesting memory effects. We hypothesize that the additionally secreted PRL could be beneficial for decidualization and implantation. Further studies with more participants are required to investigate in detail the implications of such effects on reproductive success in human

Alpha/gamma Transitions in the B-DNA backbone

In the crystal structures of protein complexes with B DNA, a and ¿ DNA backbone torsion angles often exhibit non canonical values. It is not known if these alternative backbone conformations are easily accessible in solution and can contribute to the specific recognition of DNA by proteins. We have analysed the coupled transition of the a and ¿ torsion angles within the central GpC step of a B DNA dodecamer by computer simulations. Five stable or metastable non canonical a/¿ sub states are found. The most favourable pathway from the canonical a/¿ structure to any unusual form involves a counter rotation of a and ¿, via the trans conformation. However, the corresponding free energy indicates that spontaneous flipping of the torsions is improbable in free B DNA. This is supported by an analysis of the available high resolution crystallographic structures showing that unusual a/¿ states are only encountered in B DNA complexed to proteins. An analysis of the structural consequences of a/¿ transitions shows that the non canonical backbone geometry influences essentially the roll and twist values and reduces the equilibrium dispersion of structural parameters. Our results support the hypothesis that unusual a/¿ backbones arise during protein¿DNA complexation, assisting the fine structural adjustments between the two partners and playing a role in the overall complexation free energy