Vergangenheit versus Gegenwart? Anmerkungen zu Potentialen, Risiken und Nebenwirkungen einer Kombination historischer und aktueller Ansätze der Naturgefahrenforschung

'In der derzeitigen Naturgefahrenforschung wird eine historische Untersuchungsperspektive in zwei bisher weitgehend getrennten Erkenntniszusammenhängen verfolgt. Während eine mehr natur- und sozialwissenschaftliche, an der Gegenwart orientierte Forschung mehr an der Ermittlung von Frequenz-Magnitude-Beziehungen in der Vergangenheit interessiert ist, um daraus Schlüsse für die Zukunft abzuleiten, gibt es daneben eine rein historisch und geisteswissenschaftlich ausgerichtete Naturgefahrenforschung, die Katastrophen als gesellschaftliches Ereignis in der Vergangenheit analysiert. Im Artikel wird die Frage diskutiert, inwieweit eine Verknüpfung beider Untersuchungsperspektiven sinnvoll ist. Ausgehend von einem Überblick historischer Naturgefahrenforschung in den einzelnen Zusammenhängen, wird die These vertreten, dass vor allem im Bereich der aktuellen Naturgefahrenforschung eine verstärkte Analyse archivalischer Quellen vor allem längere Zeitreihen und ergänzende Datierung von Ereignissen bietet. Am Beispiel einer Untersuchung zum Hangrutschungsrisiko im Bereich der Schwäbischen Alb wird das Potential einer kombinierten Auswertung der Quellen dargestellt. Eine vorläufige Einteilung in historische Abschnitte der Wahrnehmung wird diskutiert und ihre Bedeutung im Hinblick auf die Überlieferung von Ereignissen dargestellt.' (Autorenreferat)'The article deals with the question, whether two clearly separated perspectives of historical investigation within the analysis of natural catastrophe should be combined. The one perspective, often preferred within investigations dealing with recent catastrophe, is to reconstruct earlier events on a certain, mostly short time scale. The second perspective has a focus on perception and interpretation of earlier events. Based upon the example of the reconstruction of the landslide history of the Swabian Alb in Germany the advantages and problems of a reconstruction of the events and the perception of the affected societies will be discussed. It becomes quite clear that the recent knowledge about landslides in historical times is very poor. At least four periods of perception of landslides as a regional risk are introduced in the current discussion.' (author's abstract

Intracardiac Extension of Wilms Tumor: A Case of a 2.5-Year-Old Girl Presenting with Upper Venous Congestion Caused by Tumor Growth into the Right Cardiac Ventricle

While Wilms tumors (WT) typically present solely with an abdominally palpable mass, rare cases exhibiting vascular tumor growth can also present with circulatory problems. Here, we report the case of a 2.5-year-old girl presenting with upper venous congestion and arterial hypertension as the primary symptoms of intraventricular tumor growth exhibiting remarkable tubular and perfused morphology. Clinical situation stabilized after initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with actinomycin D and vincristine, followed by surgical resection via laparotomy and sternotomy supported by cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermia. Our results highlight the previously reported feasibility of this approach, even in primarily unstable patients

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial-interglacial timescale

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial-interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian-Eemian-early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of palaeovalley-fills that are preserved as a strath terrace. The data presented here reveal a composite erosional and depositional record that has undergone a high degree of reworking over multiple sea-level cycles leading to the preferential preservation of sediments associated with the most recent glacial-interglacial period

Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective European multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12 g dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (≥week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE: To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN: A multicentre observational study. SETTING: The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. PATIENTS: The data included 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Inclusion criteria was a peri-operative red blood cell transfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the haemoglobin level triggering a transfusion for neonates in week 1, week 2 and week 3. Secondary endpoints were transfusion volumes, 'delta haemoglobin' (preprocedure - transfusion-triggering) and 30-day and 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Peri-operative red blood cell transfusions were recorded during 447 procedures (6.9%). The median haemoglobin levels triggering a transfusion were 9.6 [IQR 8.7 to 10.9] g dl-1 for neonates in week 1, 9.6 [7.7 to 10.4] g dl-1 in week 2 and 8.0 [7.3 to 9.0] g dl-1 in week 3. The median transfusion volume was 17.1 [11.1 to 26.4] ml kg-1 with a median delta haemoglobin of 1.8 [0.0 to 3.6] g dl-1. Thirty-day morbidity was 47.8% with an overall mortality of 11.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate lower transfusion-triggering haemoglobin thresholds in clinical practice than suggested by current guidelines. The high morbidity and mortality of this NECTARINE sub-cohort calls for investigative action and evidence-based guidelines addressing peri-operative red blood cell transfusions strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02350348

Rural Colonization as Structural Policy: The Development in Germany in a Comparison between East and West from 1945 to the End of the Fifties

The aim of this paper is to put out the important role of rural colonization within the context of the situation of the rural areas in the post-war period. Instead of the fact, that both German states were parts of different political systems, rural colonization should solve the same problems in due course. After a land reform, new villages and farmsteads should secure the food supply and give refugees a new home. Experts, both in West and East, could fall back on concepts and research from the pre-war period. This paper describes the different development in both countries and seeks to understand breaks and continuities. One of the most important traditions was the develop- ment of a more intensive agriculture, based on small rural households. A big number of these farmsteads should produce more food on the same given area as a smaller number of bigger farms. The great break then happened in the East in 1952, when the collectivisation started. In the West it was a more continuous process which caused the fact that one cannot find any farmers in many villages in the rural areas of the former Bundesrepublik.The aim of this paper is to put out the important role of rural colonization within the context of the situation of the rural areas in the post-war period. Instead of the fact, that both German states were parts of different political systems, rural colonization should solve the same problems in due course. After a land reform, new villages and farmsteads should secure the food supply and give refugees a new home. Experts, both in West and East, could fall back on concepts and research from the pre-war period. This paper describes the different development in both countries and seeks to understand breaks and continuities. One of the most important traditions was the develop- ment of a more intensive agriculture, based on small rural households. A big number of these farmsteads should produce more food on the same given area as a smaller number of bigger farms. The great break then happened in the East in 1952, when the collectivisation started. In the West it was a more continuous process which caused the fact that one cannot find any farmers in many villages in the rural areas of the former Bundesrepublik

Das Fremde verstehen

The library of the Joseph Schedel (1856-1943) a pharmacist, born in Bamberg, who lived for 13 years in Yokohama gives a good insight in the way how Europeans learned more about an exotic country, which was opened for foreigners just some decades before. In contrast to other regions of the world, colonialised by europeans in the 19th century, Europeans were confronted with a long and rich tradition of pictorial representation of landscapes and places. Together with new techniques like photography a coevolution of a pictorial tradition can be traced. The old trails to Edo like the Tokaido or the Nakasendo and lists oft he most beautiful landscapes of Japan are examples for this phenomenon. An important second part of a visualisation of the country for foreigners are represented by maps and atlases. One very famous but relatively unknown example is the Atlas von Japan, drawn by the Cartographer Bruno Hassenstein and published by the famous map publisher Justus Perthes in Gotha in 1887. Both tools, photographies and maps are infuential parts in forming of an iconoscape which means a visual representation of Japan not only for foreigners. In analysing the tradition and representation of landscapes, places and whole regions it is quite clear that only a short list of small sections are quoted as typical for Japan.Peer Reviewe