Natural living – a precondition for animal welfare in organic farming

Results from a four year interdisciplinary project are presented. Animal welfare is discussed in relation to values and aims in organic farming. Based on analyzes of organic standards and other publications from the organic movement, basic “organic values” were defined. In addition, two studies of Swedish organic livestock farmers (one quantitative and one qualitative) were made. Ecocentric ethics was then identified as an ethical position for organic farming. The overall concern in organic farming is to develop sustainable farming systems, although animal welfare is also important. These aims are partly contrary, causing some difficult dilemmas related to animal welfare. The actual welfare situation in organic animal husbandry was scrutinized through a literature study. The criticism regarding bad welfare in organic farming could not be confirmed, although parasitic diseases appear to be a problem. An important finding is that animal welfare is understood differently from what is usual in conventional agriculture. It is interpreted in terms of natural living, which includes the possibility to perform a natural behavior, feed adapted to animal physiology and a natural environment. Problems in organic production should be solved with this in mind

Photoassociation of sodium in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We report on the formation of ultra-cold Na$_2$ molecules using single-photon photoassociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate. The photoassociation rate, linewidth and light shift of the J=1, $v=135$ vibrational level of the \mterm{A}{1}{+}{u} molecular bound state have been measured. We find that the photoassociation rate constant increases linearly with intensity, even where it is predicted that many-body effects might limit the rate. Our observations are everywhere in good agreement with a two-body theory having no free parameters.Comment: Fixes to the figures and references. Just the normal human stupidity type stuff, nothing Earth-shatterin

Comparative Effectiveness of Stereo-EEG versus Subdural Grids in Epilepsy Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of subdural electrode (SDE) implantations versus stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG), the two predominant methods of intracranial EEG (iEEG) performed in difficult to localize drug-resistant focal epilepsy. METHODS: The Surgical Therapies Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy created an international registry of iEEG patients implanted between 2005-2019 with ≥ 1 year follow-up. We used propensity score matching to control exposure selection bias and generate comparable cohorts. Study endpoints: 1) likelihood of resection after iEEG; 2) seizure-freedom at last follow-up; and 3) complications (composite of either post-operative infection, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, or permanent neurologic deficit). RESULTS: Ten study sites from seven countries and three continents contributed 2,012 patients, including 1,468 (73%) eligible for analysis (526 SDE, 942 SEEG) of whom 988 (67%) underwent subsequent resection. Propensity score matching improved covariate balance between exposure groups for all analyses. Propensity-matched patients who underwent SDE had higher odds of subsequent resective surgery (odds ratio OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.84), and higher odds of complications (OR=2.24, 95% CI 1.34-3.74; unadjusted: 9.6% after SDE vs. 3.3% after SEEG). Odds of seizure-freedom in propensity-matched resected patients were 1.66 times higher (95% CI 1.21, 2.26) for SEEG compared to SDE (unadjusted: 55% seizure-free after SEEG-guided resections vs. 41% after SDE) INTERPRETATION: Compared to SEEG, SDE evaluations are more likely to lead to brain surgery in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, but have more surgical complications and lower probability of seizure-freedom. This comparative-effectiveness study provides the highest feasible evidence level to guide decisions on iEEG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Knüpfung von CC-Bindungen durch Addition von Carbenium-Ionen an Alkene. Kinetik und Mechanismus

Die Addition von Carbenium-Ionen an CC-Doppelbindungen, ein Schlüsselschritt zahlreicher Synthesen in der Organischen und Makromolekularen Chemie, wird am Beispiel der Lewis-Säure-induzierten Umsetzungen von Alkylchloriden mit Alkenen mechanistisch analysiert. Stereochemische und kinetische Untersuchungen deuten einen wenig verbrückten, Produktähnlichen Übergangszustand an. Umlagerungen der im Additionsschritt erzeugten Carbenium-Ionen lassen sich durch Zusätze von Salzen mit nucleophilen Gegenionen zurückdrängen. Die Thermodynamik der Additionsreaktionen wird analysiert, und es wird gezeigt, unter welchen Voraussetzungen mit deren Umkehr, d.h. mit Grob-Fragmentierungen zu rechnen ist. Kinetische Untersuchungen über Struktureinflüsse auf die Reaktivität von Carbenium-Ionen und von Alkenen führen zu Mehrparameter-Gleichungen, die die Voraussage von Geschwindigkeitskonstanten ermöglichen. Reaktivitäts-Selektivitäts-Beziehungen über einen Reaktivitätsbereich von acht Zehnerpotenzen zeigen, daß die Struktur des Übergangszustands nur durch Substituenten-Variation in unmittelbarer Nähe des Reaktionszentrums verändert wird

Preventing infective complications following leech therapy: Is practice keeping pace with current research?

Background: Despite several publications strongly advocating prophylactic antibiotics during leech therapy, and recent primary articles shedding new light on the microbiota of leeches, many units either do not use antibiotic prophylaxis, or are continuing to use ineffective agents. Methods: A 5-year follow-up of plastic surgery units in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland was conducted in 2007 to ascertain current practice regarding the use of prophylactic antibiotics with leech therapy. A comprehensive literature search investigated primary research articles regarding the microbiota of leeches to update the reconstructive surgery community. Results: Despite published evidence to support the use of prophylactic antibiotics during leech therapy, 24% of units do not use antibiotic prophylaxis and 57% of those using antibiotics are using potentially ineffective agents. Advanced molecular genetic techniques, which allow accurate characterization of both culturable and nonculturable microbiota of the leech digestive tract, show a wider diversity than at first thought, with variable antiobiotic resistance profiles. Conclusions: Despite infection due to leech therapy being a well known and relatively common complication, many units are not using appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2009

The twilight of the Liberal Social Contract? On the Reception of Rawlsian Political Liberalism

This chapter discusses the Rawlsian project of public reason, or public justification-based 'political' liberalism, and its reception. After a brief philosophical rather than philological reconstruction of the project, the chapter revolves around a distinction between idealist and realist responses to it. Focusing on political liberalism’s critical reception illuminates an overarching question: was Rawls’s revival of a contractualist approach to liberal legitimacy a fruitful move for liberalism and/or the social contract tradition? The last section contains a largely negative answer to that question. Nonetheless the chapter's conclusion shows that the research programme of political liberalism provided and continues to provide illuminating insights into the limitations of liberal contractualism, especially under conditions of persistent and radical diversity. The programme is, however, less receptive to challenges to do with the relative decline of the power of modern states