Implementing Structured Participation for Regional Level Waste Management Planning

The authors present a case study example of a well-structured public participation project that was incorporated into the formal decision-making process in Germany

Alkalinization during re-oxygenation prevents functional damage by hyperglycaemic hypoxia

HYPERGLYCAEMIA impairs recovery from transient cerebral ischaemia: the importance of tissue acidification for this phenomenon has not been clarified in detail. We investigated this issue in a less complex in vitro preparation of isolated rat dorsal spinal roots exposed for 30 min to hyperglycaemic hypoxia. Peak height of compound action potentials recovered minimally in 5 mM bicarbonate. However, recovery was greatly improved by addition of the weak base trimethylamine during re-oxygenation. Addition of the weak acid propionate had no such effect. Cytoplasmic alkalinization improved recovery in a brief time window only: application of trimethylamine after 15 min of re-oxygenation was without beneficial effect. These data emphasize the importance of cytoplasmic acidification for neurophysiological recovery from hyper-glycaemic hypoxia during the initial period of re-oxygenation

Alkalinization during re-oxygenation prevents functional damage by hyperglycaemic hypoxia

HYPERGLYCAEMIA impairs recovery from transient cerebral ischaemia: the importance of tissue acidification for this phenomenon has not been clarified in detail. We investigated this issue in a less complex in vitro preparation of isolated rat dorsal spinal roots exposed for 30 min to hyperglycaemic hypoxia. Peak height of compound action potentials recovered minimally in 5 mM bicarbonate. However, recovery was greatly improved by addition of the weak base trimethylamine during re-oxygenation. Addition of the weak acid propionate had no such effect. Cytoplasmic alkalinization improved recovery in a brief time window only: application of trimethylamine after 15 min of re-oxygenation was without beneficial effect. These data emphasize the importance of cytoplasmic acidification for neurophysiological recovery from hyper-glycaemic hypoxia during the initial period of re-oxygenation

Impact of climate change on non-communicable diseases due to increased ambient air pollution

Background: The impacts of air pollutants on health range from short-term health impairments to hospital admissions and deaths. Climate change is leading to an increase in air pollution. Methods: This article addresses, based on selected literature, the relationship between climate change and air pollutants, the health effects of air pollutants and their modification by air temperature, with a focus on Germany. Results: Poor air quality increases the risk of many diseases. Climate change is causing, among other things, more periods of extreme heat with simultaneously increased concentrations of air pollutants. The interactions between air temperature and air pollutants, as well as their combined effects on human health, have not yet been sufficiently studied. Limit, target, and guideline values are of particular importance for health protection. Conclusions: Measures to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gases must be more strictly implemented. An essential step towards improving air quality is setting stricter air quality limit values in Europe. Prevention and adaptation measures should be accelerated in Germany, as they contribute to climate-resilient and sustainable healthcare systems. This is part of a series of articles that constitute the German Status Report on Climate Change and Health 2023

Gender differences in frailty transition and its prediction in community-dwelling old adults

Frailty is very common in old age and often associated with adverse events. Transitioning between frailty states is possible in both directions (improvement and worsening) offering targets for interventions. Frailty is more prevalent in women, but little is known about the impact of gender on frailty transition. The aim of this study is to identify gender differences for frailty transition in older adults and to develop gender-stratified prognostic prediction models for frailty transition. We performed a longitudinal analyses of the Berlin Initiative (cohort) Study with a frailty follow-up of 2.1 years. Description of frailty transition using the frailty phenotype and development of prognostic prediction models using multivariable logistic regressions for transition (improvement or worsening) stratified by gender following the TRIPOD statement were performed. In total, the study population consisted of 1158 community-dwelling adults with a mean age of 84.4 years and of whom 55% were women. Out of 1158 participants 225 (19%) were robust, 532 (46%) prefrail and 401 (35%) frail. After 2.1 (IQR 2.0-2.3) years, half of the participants had transitioned between frailty states. Men worsened more often and those who were already frail died more often than women. Gender-stratified prediction models for frailty transition demonstrated that some predictors (age, self-rated health, cognitive impairment, baseline frailty status) were included in all models. While stroke, diabetes mellitus, smoking and glomerular filtration rate were unique predictors in the models for females, osteoarthritis, hospitalization and education were predictors in the models for males. There are gender differences in frailty transition rates, patterns and prediction. This supports the importance of considering gender when addressing frailty and targeting interventions in old age

Impact of climate change on non-communicable diseases due to increased ambient air pollution

Background: The impacts of air pollutants on health range from short-term health impairments to hospital admissions and deaths. Climate change is leading to an increase in air pollution. Methods: This article addresses, based on selected literature, the relationship between climate change and air pollutants, the health effects of air pollutants and their modification by air temperature, with a focus on Germany. Results: Poor air quality increases the risk of many diseases. Climate change is causing, among other things, more periods of extreme heat with simultaneously increased concentrations of air pollutants. The interactions between air temperature and air pollutants, as well as their combined effects on human health, have not yet been sufficiently studied. Limit, target, and guideline values are of particular importance for health protection. Conclusions: Measures to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gases must be more strictly implemented. An essential step towards improving air quality is setting stricter air quality limit values in Europe. Prevention and adaptation measures should be accelerated in Germany, as they contribute to climate-resilient and sustainable healthcare systems. This is part of a series of articles that constitute the German Status Report on Climate Change and Health 2023

Impact of climate change on non-communicable diseases due to increased ambient air pollution

Background: The impacts of air pollutants on health range from short-term health impairments to hospital admissions and deaths. Climate change is leading to an increase in air pollution. Methods: This article addresses, based on selected literature, the relationship between climate change and air pollutants, the health effects of air pollutants and their modification by air temperature, with a focus on Germany. Results: Poor air quality increases the risk of many diseases. Climate change is causing, among other things, more periods of extreme heat with simultaneously increased concentrations of air pollutants. The interactions between air temperature and air pollutants, as well as their combined effects on human health, have not yet been sufficiently studied. Limit, target, and guideline values are of particular importance for health protection. Conclusions: Measures to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gases must be more strictly implemented. An essential step towards improving air quality is setting stricter air quality limit values in Europe. Prevention and adaptation measures should be accelerated in Germany, as they contribute to climate-resilient and sustainable healthcare systems. This is part of a series of articles that constitute the German Status Report on Climate Change and Health 2023

Increased Volume and Function of Right Auditory Cortex as a Marker for Absolute Pitch

Absolute pitch (AP) perception is the auditory ability to effortlessly recognize the pitch of any given tone without external reference. To study the neural substrates of this rare phenomenon, we developed a novel behavioral test, which excludes memory-based interval recognition and permits quantification of AP proficiency independently of relative pitch cues. AP- and non-AP-possessing musicians were studied with morphological and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography. Gray matter volume of the right Heschl's gyrus (HG) was highly correlated with AP proficiency. Right-hemispheric auditory evoked fields were increased in the AP group. fMRI revealed an AP-dependent network of right planum temporale, secondary somatosensory, and premotor cortices, as well as left-hemispheric "Broca's” area. We propose the right HG as an anatomical marker of AP and suggest that a right-hemispheric network mediates AP "perception,” whereas pitch "labeling” takes place in the left hemispher