Die Verwertung humaner Exkremente als Ressource: Potentiale, Praxisbeispiele und politische Regulierung

In einem Webinar, das im WiSe2020/21 im Rahmen der 5. Progressiven Einführungswochen, der 7. Ökosozialen Hochschultage und des Onlineseminars „Bioökonomie“ an der OVGU Magdeburg veranstaltet wurde, referierte Herr Enno Schröder zur Nutzung von humanen Exkrementen als Ressource für die Bioökonomie. Unter dem Titel „Ab wann ist Scheiße Dünger? Bioökonomie ganz praktisch“ stellte Herr Schröder die Aktivitäten des Sozialunternehmens „Goldeimer gGmbH“ sowie des Netzwerks für Nachhaltige Sanitärsysteme e.V. (netsan.org) dar. Dabei wurden mögliche Verfahren der Kompostierung von humanen Fäkalien, potentielle Risiken sowie die aktuellen gesetzlichen Regulierung im Detail dargestellt. Aus Sicht von Goldeimer erschwert letztere eine kommerzielle Nutzung von humanen Fäkalien als eine wertvolle Ressource für die Bioökonomie. Mit einer Kombination aus wissenschaftlicher Grundlagenforschung, Standardisierung und Qualitätsicherung bei der Kompostierung, Netzwerk-Arbeit und Lobbyarbeit versuchen die Goldeimer gGmbH und Partner des Netzwerkes die Bedingungen hierfür zu verbessern. Der Bericht zu diesem Seminar wurde von Oliver Keminer verfasst und durch einige Verweise (Fussnoten) und Anmerkungen ergänzt.In a webinar organized in WiSe2020/21 as part of the 5th Progressive Introductory Weeks, the 7th Eco-social University Days and the online seminar "Bioeconomy" at OVGU Magdeburg, Mr. Enno Schröder gave a presentation on the use of human excrement as a resource for the bioeconomy. Under the titel “When does human shit become fertilizer? Bioeconomy in practice”, Mr. Schröder presented the activities of the social enterprise "Goldeimer gGmbH" and the “Netzwerk für Nachhaltige Sanitärsysteme e.V. (netsan.org)". In the talk, possible methods of composting human faeces, potential risks as well as the current legal regulation were presented in detail. From Goldeimer\u27s perspective, the latter makes it difficult to commercially utilize human feces as a valuable resource for the bioeconomy. With a combination of basic scientific research, standardization and quality assurance in composting, networking and lobbying, Goldeimer gGmbH and partners of the network try to improve the conditions for this. The report on this seminar was written by Oliver Keminer and supplemented by some references (footnotes) and comments

Transient Absence of C5a-Specific Neutrophil Function in Inflammatory Disorders of the Skin

Chemotactic migration, production of superoxide anion (O2-), and the release of β-glucuronidase from azurophilic granules were determined in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from 135 patients with infectious (e.g., pyoderma, acne conglobata, erysipelas) as well as noninfectious (psoriasis) skin diseases. Purified C5a and the formylated tripeptide FMLP were used as stimuli. In addition, longitudinal profiles of PMN activities were performed at daily intervals in several patients. There was a complete absence of PMN responses (chemotaxis, O2--production, and enzyme release) specifically induced by C5a in 25 patients suffering from various inflammatory diseases of the skin. In these patients PMN responsiveness for the tripeptide FMLP was either normal or increased. The C5a-dependent defect of PMN was transient and correlated with disease activity. When normal PMN were incubated with sera from C5a-defective patients, no inherent stimulatory or inhibitory activities compared to control sera were seen. Pretreatment of normal PMN in vitro with various concentrations of C5a failed to completely deactivate PMN without affecting FMLP dependent functions. These observations demonstrate the presence of a functional defect in circulating PMN during acute cutaneous inflammation. The in vitro experiments suggest transient blocking of C5a-dependent PMN functions by a cell-bound factor which seems not to be C5a or C5adewarg

New crystal structures of alkali metal tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borates

The crystal structures of the salts [Li(1,2-F2C6H4)] [B(C6F5)4] (1) and Cs[B(C6F5)4] (2) comprise six Li···F contacts (1.965(3) − 2.312(3) Å) and twelve Cs···F contacts (3.0312(1) − 3.7397(2) Å), respectively, which are significantly shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii (3.29 and 4.90 Å)

Time- and Stimulus-Dependent Secretion of NAP-1/IL-8 by Human Fibroblasts and Endothelial Cells

The neutrophil-activating peptide 1/interleukin 8 (NAP-1/ IL-8) has in the past been extensively characterized biochemically as well as functionally. Effects of NAP-1/IL-8 on inflammatory cells like neutrophilic granulocytes and lymphocytes, as well as its production by several different cell types, point towards an important role in different inflammatory processes. Recently, monoclonal antibodies have helped to establish immunoassays for detecting the peptide. Using such antibodies, we have performed in vitro studies on the time- and stimulus-dependent production of IL-8 by endothelial cells as well as fibroblasts. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1α (IL-1α) efficiently induced both focal intracellular expression as well as secretion of the peptide when tested by immunocytochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), such effects were seen only in endothelial cells, whereas interferon (IFN)-γ did not induce any pronounced effect on either of the cells tested. These studies demonstrated in vitro release of IL-8 by different cells upon specific stimulation, thus underlining the significance of the in vivo secretion of this peptide, as noted in recent studies

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health and Perceived Unmet Needs for Healthcare among the Elderly in Germany

Research into health inequalities in the elderly population of Germany is relatively scarce. This study examines socioeconomic inequalities in health and perceived unmet needs for healthcare and explores the dynamics of health inequalities with age among elderly people in Germany. Data were derived from the Robert Koch Institute’s cross-sectional German Health Update study. The sample was restricted to participants aged 50–85 years (n = 11,811). Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured based on education, (former) occupation, and income. Odds ratios and prevalence differences were estimated using logistic regression and linear probability models, respectively. Our results show that self-reported health problems were more prevalent among men and women with lower SES. The extent of SES-related health inequalities decreased at older ages, predominantly among men. Although the prevalence of perceived unmet needs for healthcare was low overall, low SES was associated with higher perceptions of unmet needs in both sexes and for several kinds of health services. In conclusion, socioeconomic inequalities in health exist in a late working age and early retirement but may narrow at older ages, particularly among men. Socially disadvantaged elderly people perceive greater barriers to accessing healthcare services than those who are better off