Women scientists differ in how they see the role of gender in their careers

Some downplay discrimination: 'if you're good enough you'll be treated the same as men', write Marita Haas, Sabine Theresia Koeszegi and Eva Zedlache

Pre and Postoperative Management of Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases

Stabilization during preoperative cardiac surgery especially in neonates has an important role to predict outcome for pediatric congenital heart surgery. We tried to elaborate general guidelines on how to diagnose and some anticipations for emergency treatments tailored by the type of congenital heart disease in neonates. Stabilization consists of medical treatment including emergent prostaglandin institution in some types of duct dependent lesion. The role of interventional catheterization such as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stent, balloon pulmonary valvotomy, etc. as modalities for stabilization before surgery was also elaborated. Some general and specific guidelines based on the type of surgeries for postoperative management were also discussed

Criteria for a transparent assessment of carbon footprints in the food supply chain

Our daily consumption patterns have a major influence on climate change. Several European initiatives use CO2-labels for products to provide guidance for climate friendly consumption decisions. Different methodological details affect the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2-e) being labeled. A standardized method is needed to generate comparable results. The objective of this study conducted at the Institute for Marketing and Innovation of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, was to identify the key methodological criteria for transparent assessment of the carbon footprint of food products. Expert interviews and content analyses were the methodological approach applied. Current carbon footprint standardization processes have to meet the challenge of meeting both scientific accuracy and practicability in order to enable comprehensive implementation in management practice

Vom Geschäftsgang zum Prozess: Prozessmanagement in Bibliotheken am Beispiel der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin

Der Beitrag skizziert den Weg der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin bei der Implementierung eines systematischen Prozessmanagements. Basierend auf den Erfahrungen aus einem Pilotprojekt werden Vorgehensweisen und Methoden reflektiert und weiterentwickelt, die sich eignen, in einer großen,arbeitsteiligen Organisation eingesetzt zu werden. Beleuchtet werden Motivationsfaktoren für Prozessmanagement sowie neue Ansätze wie Service Blueprint und Adaptiv Case Management, die das klassische Verständnis von Prozessmanagement erweitern.The article outlines the path of the Berlin State Library working towards the implementation of a systematic process management. Based on the experience of a pilot project procedures and methods are reflected and further developed to be suitable for a large, work-sharing organization. Motivating factors for process management as well as new approaches such as Service Blueprint and Adaptive Case Management, that expand the classical understanding of process management, are covered

Detection of Surface Water with Spot/Vegetation. Monitoring and Assessing CILSS Countries Surface Water Availability

The detection of surface water with Spot/VEGETATION, at 1km resolution, is done every 10-days. The quality of the detection in arid and semi-arid regions in western Africa, and the regular time step of the observations, allow monitoring the surface water availability. The seasonal surface water can be mapped and its date of avail-ability is known. From this information, some indicators were generated for assessing the relative amount of re-plenishment and delays in availability between two years. The overall information, detections and dates assessments based on Spot/VEGETATION is broadcasted every 10-days to African users thanks to the EumetCAST system. The processing of the water availability indicators, such as those demonstrated in this document, can thus be implemented at the user level.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

CyberKnife Boost for Patients with Cervical Cancer Unable to Undergo Brachytherapy

Standard radiation therapy for patients undergoing primary chemosensitized radiation for carcinomas of the cervix usually consists of external beam radiation followed by an intracavitary brachytherapy boost. On occasion, the brachytherapy boost cannot be performed due to unfavorable anatomy or because of coexisting medical conditions. We examined the safety and efficacy of using CyberKnife stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a boost to the cervix after external beam radiation in those patients unable to have brachytherapy to give a more effective dose to the cervix than with conventional external beam radiation alone. Six consecutive patients with anatomic or medical conditions precluding a tandem and ovoid boost were treated with combined external beam radiation and CyberKnife boost to the cervix. Five patients received 45 Gy to the pelvis with serial intensity-modulated radiation therapy boost to the uterus and cervix to a dose of 61.2 Gy. These five patients received an SBRT boost to the cervix to a dose of 20 Gy in five fractions of 4 Gy each. One patient was treated to the pelvis to a dose of 45 Gy with an external beam boost to the uterus and cervix to a dose of 50.4 Gy. This patient received an SBRT boost to the cervix to a dose of 19.5 Gy in three fractions of 6.5 Gy. Five percent volumes of the bladder and rectum were kept to ≤75 Gy in all patients (i.e., V75 Gy ≤ 5%). All of the patients remain locally controlled with no evidence of disease following treatment. Grade 1 diarrhea occurred in 4/6 patients during the conventional external beam radiation. There has been no grade 3 or 4 rectal or bladder toxicity. There were no toxicities observed following SBRT boost. At a median follow-up of 14 months, CyberKnife radiosurgical boost is well tolerated and efficacious in providing a boost to patients with cervix cancer who are unable to undergo brachytherapy boost. Further follow-up is required to see if these results remain durable

Analytical description of adolescent binge drinking patients

Background Binge drinking is a widespread health compromising behavior among adolescents and young adults, leading to significant health problems, injuries and mortality. However, data on alcohol consumption is often unreliable, as it is mainly based on self-reporting surveys. In this five-year study (2014–2019) at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, we analyzed blood samples from adolescent binge drinking patients to investigate blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), co-ingestion of drugs, assess compliance between self-reported and measured substance use, and test for genetic components of innate alcohol tolerance. Furthermore, hair analysis was performed to retrospectively access drug exposure and to evaluate the potential of hair analysis to assess binge drinking. Methods In a prospective, single-center study, patients with alcohol intoxications aged 16 years and younger were included. Blood and hair samples were analyzed by sensitive liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry drug analysis. HTTLPR genotyping was performed with PCR and fragment analysis. Results Among 72 cases, 72 blood and 13 hair samples were analyzed. BACs ranged from 0.08–3.20‰ (mean 1.63‰, median 1.60‰), while a mean concentration of 3.64 pg/mg hair (median 3.0 pg/mg) of the alcohol marker ethyl glucuronide (EtG) was detected in eleven hair samples, providing no evidence of chronic excessive drinking. In 47% of the cases, co-ingested drugs were qualitatively detected next to ethanol, but only 9% of the detected drugs had blood concentrations classified as pharmacologically active. Cannabis consumption (22%) and stimulant intake (16%) were the most frequently observed drugs. Compliance between patients’ statements and measured substances matched well. Although we investigated the genetic contribution to innate alcohol tolerance via the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, the diverse genetic background of the cohort and small sample size did not allow any conclusions to be drawn. Conclusion Almost half of our binge drinking patients tested positive for other substances, primarily cannabis. We anticipate that our study enhances understanding of consumption behavior of young people and encourage continued efforts to address the harmful effects of binge drinking and co-occurring substance use

Auswirkungen zweijähriger Düngung mit NAWARO-Biogasgülle auf chemische und physikalische Bodeneigenschaften

Using biomass from intercrops as feedstock for biogas production makes it possible to produce renewable energy without compromising food production. In order that using intercrops for biogas and fertilizing with liquid digestate is sustainable, it must be secured that this practice does not have adverse effects on soil fertility. Two-year randomised field experiments were conducted on two different soil types near Bruck/Leitha (A). On chernozem soil, soil pH and composition of the cation exchange complex were hardly influenced by liquid digestate. Also on a parachernozem with pH 5.9 short-term effects of liquid digestate were small due to the low salt content and high C/N ratio of the digestate. Nevertheless the distinct increase in soil K content shows that if fertilization with liquid digestate is continued at rates clearly above K offtake by crops, K percentage on the exchange complex will exceed the critical value of 5% soon. Aggregate stability of the parachernozem was increased by the organic matter applied via digestate. Aggregate stability and infiltration rate of the chernozem were not affected. For a long-term sustainable use of intercrops for biogas and recycling of liquid digestate as a fertilizer, it is necessary that the rate of digestate fertilization corresponds to the amount of intercrop biomass harvested, and that digestate fertilization is adjusted to the potassium requirements and potassium uptake of the crops

Does malnutrition influence outcome in children undergoing congenital heart surgery in a developing country?

Background Most children undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) in developing countries are malnourished. Malnutrition is known as a co-morbidity factor that might predict and influence outcomes after surgery. Objectives To evaluate the effect of malnutrition and other associated risk factors on post-operative outcomes in children with CHDs underwent cardiac surgery. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a single center tertiary pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) in Indonesia. Our cohort included all children between 5 and 36 months of age undergoing congenital heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from November 2011 until February 2014. Outcomes measured were the length of intubation and the length of ICU stay. Variables for potential influence investigated were the nutritional status, age, gender, type of cardiac anomaly (acyanotic vs. cyanotic), Aristotle score, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, and Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) III score. Results Out of 249 patients included, 147 (59%) showed malnourishment on admission. Malnourished patients were significantly younger in age, presented with an acyanotic heart defects, and had higher PRISM III score. Additionally, they also had a longer mechanical ventilation time and ICU stay than those with a normal nutritional status. After adjusting for various variables using a multiple logistic regression model it could be demonstrated that a higher Z-score for weight to age was a significant protective factor for the intubation time of more than 29 hours with an odds ratio of 0.66 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.92, P = 0.012). Non-malnourished patients had a 49% significantly higher chance for extubation with a hazard ratio of 1.49 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.99, P= 0.007). Conclusion Malnourishment is clearly associated in a linear fashion with longer mechanical ventilation and ICU stay. As one of significant and potentially treatable co-morbidity factors, prevention of malnourishment by early diagnosis and optimal timing for surgery is important