Risk governance in organizations

Dieses Buch dokumentiert 10 Jahre Risk-Governance-Forschung an der Universität Siegen. In 50 Beiträgen reflektieren Forscher und Praktiker Risk Governance vor dem Hintergrund ihrer eigenen Forschungen und/oder Erfahrungen und geben jeweils einen Entwicklungsimpuls für die Zukunft der Risk Governance. Das Buch zeigt die große Bandbreite und Tiefe des Forschungsgebietes auf und diskutiert Grundannahmen, Implementierungsfragen, die Rolle der Risk Governance als Transformationsmotor, ihre Wirkung in den verschiedenen betrieblichen Funktionen, Entwicklungsperspektiven und den Beitrag der Risk Governance zu einer nachhaltigen Ausrichtung von Unternehmen.This book documents 10 years of risk governance research at the University of Siegen. In 50 contributions, researchers and practitioners reflect on risk governance against the background of their own research and/or experience and provide a development impetus for the future of risk governance. The book shows the wide range and depth of the research field and discusses basic assumptions, implementation issues, the role of risk governance as transformation engine, its impact in the various operational functions, development perspectives, and the contribution of risk governance to a sustainable orientation of companies

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Genospecies in Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Europe: a Metaanalysis

In Europe, Borrelia burgdorferi genospecies causing Lyme borreliosis are mainly transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus. Since its discovery, B. burgdorferi has been the subject of many epidemiological studies to determine its prevalence and the distribution of the different genospecies in ticks. In the current study we systematically reviewed the literature on epidemiological studies of I. ricinus ticks infected with B. burgdorferi sensu lato. A total of 1,186 abstracts in English published from 1984 to 2003 were identified by a PubMed keyword search and from the compiled article references. A multistep filter process was used to select relevant articles; 110 articles from 24 countries contained data on the rates of infection of I. ricinus with Borrelia in Europe (112,579 ticks), and 44 articles from 21 countries included species-specific analyses (3,273 positive ticks). These data were used to evaluate the overall rate of infection of I. ricinus with Borrelia genospecies, regional distributions within Europe, and changes over time, as well as the influence of different detection methods on the infection rate. While the infection rate was significantly higher in adults (18.6%) than in nymphs (10.1%), no effect of detection method, tick gender, or collection period (1986 to 1993 versus 1994 to 2002) was found. The highest rates of infection of I. ricinus were found in countries in central Europe. B. afzelii and B. garinii are the most common Borrelia species, but the distribution of genospecies seems to vary in different regions in Europe. The most frequent coinfection by Borrelia species was found for B. garinii and B. valaisiana

Distribution of Clinically Relevant Borrelia Genospecies in Ticks Assessed by a Novel, Single-Run, Real-Time PCR

A LightCycler-based PCR protocol was developed which targets the ospA gene for the identification and quantification of the different Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in culture and in ticks, based on the use of a fluorescently labeled probe (HybProbe) and an internally labeled primer. The detection limit of the PCR was 1 to 10 spirochetes. A melting temperature determined from the melting curve of the amplified product immediately after thermal cycling allowed the differentiation of the three different B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii) that are clinically relevant in Europe in a single PCR run. This method represents a simplified approach to study the association of different Borrelia species in ticks, the risk of Lyme borreliosis, and the putatively species-specific clinical sequelae. To determine the reliability of the real-time PCR protocol, we studied the prevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato infection in Ixodes ricinus ticks. A total of 1,055 ticks were collected by flagging vegetation in five different sites in the region of Konstanz (south Germany) and were examined for the distribution of B. burgdorferi species by real-time PCR. The mean infection rate was 35%. Of 548 adult ticks, 40% were positive, and of 507 nymphs, 30% were positive. The predominant genospecies (with 18% mixed infections) in the examined areas was B. afzelii (53%), followed by B. garinii (18%) and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (11%); 0.8% of the infecting Borrelia could not be identified

Prevalence of mass social media-induced illness presenting with Tourette-like behavior in Germany between 2019 and 2021

Starting in 2019, in Germany the first well documented outbreak of mass sociogenic illness induced by social media (mass social media-induced illness; MSMI) occurred presenting with functional Tourette-like behaviors (FTB). This study aimed to provide first data on the prevalence rate of MSMI-FTB in Germany between 2019 and 2021 in the general population. We conducted a large-scale representative population survey in cooperation with the USUMA market and social research institute. Between August and December 2021, n = 2.509 people (mean age: 49.5 years, range: 16–95 years, n = 1.276 females) were randomly selected, visited in their households, interviewed, and asked to answer for themselves, but also for close family members (n = 6.744). Thus, in total, we received answers for n = 9.253 people. Probable MSMI-FTB was found in n = 33 individuals (mean age at onset: 30.5 years, n = 8 females). Based on strict criteria, the diagnosis of MSMI-FTB was considered highly likely in 16/33 individuals (mean age at onset: 25.6 years, n = 2 females) corresponding to prevalence rates of 0.17% (CIlower = 0.10, CIupper = 0.28) and 0.36% (CIlower = 0.25, CIupper = 0.50), respectively. This is the first large-scale, population representative study investigating the prevalence of MSMI-FTB in the general population in Germany between 2019 and 2021. Based on the prevalence rates found, MSMI-FTB is highly relevant for health economy. Accordingly, we suggest educating healthcare professionals and the general public to avoid misdiagnosis and inefficient treatment.<br/

Critical Evaluation of Urine-Based PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis

Many approaches were made in recent years to establish urine PCR as a diagnostic tool for Lyme borreliosis, but results are contradictory. In the present study, a standardized protocol spiking urine from healthy donors with a defined amount of whole Borrelia or Borrelia DNA was established. The development of a nested real-time PCR targeting ospA enabled a highly sensitive and quantitative analysis of these samples. We show the following. (i) Storage of spiked urine samples for up to 6 months at −20°C had no negative effect on spike recovery. (ii) Centrifugation of 10 ml of urine at 40,000 × g for 30 min resulted in a concentration of both spikes, i.e., whole Borrelia and DNA. (iii) The inhibition of DNA spike recovery in 48% (11 of 23 samples) of urine samples tested could be attributed to nuclease activity. This was abrogated by alkalizing the urine or by working with the samples on ice. Despite optimized conditions, analysis of urine samples of 12 patients with erythema migrans, the clinical stage considered to be associated with the highest bacterial load, revealed a positive result in only one sample. All 12 samples were negative by an alternative PCR targeting flagellin. The results of our study support doubts that urine is a suitable material for diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis

Identification of Borrelia Burgdorferi Ribosomal Protein L25 by the Phage Surface Display Method and Evaluation of the Protein's Value for Serodiagnosis

The phage surface display technique was used to identify Borrelia burgdorferi antigens. By affinity selection with immunoglobulin G from pooled sera of six Lyme borreliosis (LB) patients, the ribosomal protein L25 was identified. The diagnostic value of L25 was investigated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using sera from 80 LB patients and 75 controls, and the use of the protein resulted in a specificity of 99% and a 23% sensitivity, which qualify L25 as a useful antigen when combined with others.JRC.I.2-Validation of biomedical testing method