Strategien und Technologien einer pluralistischen Fern- und Nahwärmeversorgung in einem liberalisierten Energiemarkt unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung und erneuerbarer Energien : Kurzfassung der Studie

Die Zusammenfassung dient zwei Zielen: Zunächst werden die wesentlichen Ergebnisse der Langfassung der o.g. Studie referiert; auf dieser Basis werden dann mögliche Maßnahmen und Strategien diskutiert, die kurzfristig (2000-2001) ergriffen werden könnten. Als Akteure kommen hierbei nicht nur die Bundesregierung, die wichtige Rahmenbedingungen zum Marktgeschehen wird setzen müssen, in den Fokus, sondern auch die Betreiber von Heizkraftwerken und KWK-Anlagen und deren Verbände, aber auch andere Akteure wie z. B. Contracting-Unternehmen und Forschungseinrichtungen. Da die Übergangsphase der Liberalisierung der europäischen Stromwirtschaft in den Jahren 2000-2005 eine besondere Herausforderung für die KWK-Entwicklung darstellt, wird auch ein kurzfristig wirksames Maßnahmenbündel zur Diskussion gestellt. Dem Leser sei zum Verständnis in Erinnerung gerufen, dass diese vorgelegte Analyse im Rahmen einer Vorstudie durchgeführt wurde und langfristig abgesicherte Aussagen auch Analysen mit einschließen müssten, die bis 2010 und 2020 reichen. Weiterführende Arbeiten sollen in einer geplanten Hauptstudie erfolgen

Early continence in patients with localized prostate cancer. A comparison between open retropubic (RRPE) and endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE) ଁ

Abstract Objective: The study examined and compared continence rates in prostate cancer patients who had undergone either open retropubic prostatectomy (RRPE) or endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE). The core question was whether the surgical approach had an effect on the patients' continence status 3 months after surgery. Methods: We conducted a multicentric, longitudinal study in 7 German hospitals. Three hundred fifty prostate cancer patients (166 EERPE, 184 RRPE) were asked to self-assess symptoms associated with urinary incontinence (UI) 1 day before and 3 months after prostatectomy. Symptoms of UI were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-PR25 questionnaire. Urinary continence was defined according to (1) the use of no protective pad, (2) the use of up to a single protective pad in a 24-hour period, and (3) according to the patient's self-assessment. A binary regression model was employed to predict early continence status. Results: Three months after prostatectomy, 44% of patients who underwent EERPE and 40% of patients who underwent RRPE were completely continent. Patients who underwent nerve-sparing prostatectomy and patients younger than 65 years had a better chance of regaining urinary continence earlier. The surgical approach had no significant impact on the patients' continence status. Limitations of the study are a drop-out rate of 39% and sociodemographic and clinical differences between both treatment groups. Conclusions: Three months after prostatectomy, there were no significant differences between both treatment groups regarding urinary continence. The surgical approach had no significant effect on the patients' continence status. Higher age and non-nerve-sparing surgery are associated with a longer period of convalescence

Solulin reduces infarct volume and regulates gene-expression in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Thrombolysis after acute ischemic stroke has only proven to be beneficial in a subset of patients. The soluble recombinant analogue of human thrombomodulin, Solulin, was studied in an <it>in vivo </it>rat model of acute ischemic stroke.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male SD rats were subjected to 2 hrs of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Rats treated with Solulin intravenously shortly before reperfusion were compared to rats receiving normal saline i.v. with respect to infarct volumes, neurological deficits and mortality. Gene expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-9, CD11B and GFAP were semiquantitatively analyzed by rtPCR of the penumbra.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>24 hrs after reperfusion, rats were neurologically tested, euthanized and infarct volumes determined. Solulin significantly reduced mean total (p = 0.001), cortical (p = 0.002), and basal ganglia (p = 0.036) infarct volumes. Hippocampal infarct volumes (p = 0.191) were not significantly affected. Solulin significantly downregulated the expression of IL-1β (79%; p < 0.001), TNF-α (59%; p = 0.001), IL-6 (47%; p = 0.04), and CD11B (49%; p = 0.001) in the infarcted cortex compared to controls.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Solulin reduced mean total, cortical and basal ganglia infarct volumes and regulated a subset of cytokines and proteases after tMCAO suggesting the potency of this compound for therapeutic interventions.</p