Das Finanzwissen der Kärntner Erwerbsbevölkerung: eine empirische Analyse des Einflusses sozioökonomischer Charakteristika

Angesichts komplexer werdender Wirtschaftszusammenhänge und Finanzprodukte gewinnt die finanzielle Allgemeinbildung der Bevölkerung zunehmend an Bedeutung und stellt einen sogenannten "Life Skill" des 21. Jahrhunderts dar. Der vorliegende Beitrag hat es sich daher zum Ziel gesetzt - anhand einer erstmalig explizit für das Bundesland Kärnten durchgeführten Erhebung -, das Finanzwissen ("Financial Literacy") der Kärntner Erwerbsbevölkerung detailliert zu betrachten. Auf Basis univariater Analysen und einer OLS-Regressionsschätzung wird der Einfluss wesentlicher sozioökonomischer Merkmale auf den individuellen Finanzwissensstand herausgearbeitet. Die generierten Ergebnisse liefern erste Anhaltspunkte zur Verbalisierung stimulierender Bildungsinitiativen und zeigen auf, dass gerade das Bildungsniveau der Befragten einen maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Financial Literacy dieser nimmt

Self-employment on the way in a digital economy: A variety of shades of grey

The aim of this paperis to discuss self-employment in a historical perspective. A historiography of self-employment has to embed the observation into a broader frame-work of international relations and of economic and social developments. Related changes affect diverse institutions like labour markets, systems of education and further education, political organizations, the system of labour relations and, of course, the whole “social system of production” (Hollingsworth, 1998). Vice versa, these changes are also affected by different developments in the sphere of the social, technological and political organization of economy and society. Contemporary discourse about the nature of self-employment falls far too short, if it is not linked to an historical frame-work of thought, which gives contours to ideas and changing interpretations. Especially, the current type of “naive” admiration of self-employment, often in combination with normative upgrading in terms of entrepreneurship, must be advised to analyse and to think historically. At the same time, many present day self-employed “jobs” would have been standard employment contracts some ten years ago. In this respects current de-bates on precarization are also linked with debates on self-employment

Self-employment on the way in a digital economy: A variety of shades of grey

The aim of this paperis to discuss self-employment in a historical perspective. A historiography of self-employment has to embed the observation into a broader frame-work of international relations and of economic and social developments. Related changes affect diverse institutions like labour markets, systems of education and further education, political organizations, the system of labour relations and, of course, the whole “social system of production” (Hollingsworth, 1998). Vice versa, these changes are also affected by different developments in the sphere of the social, technological and political organization of economy and society. Contemporary discourse about the nature of self-employment falls far too short, if it is not linked to an historical frame-work of thought, which gives contours to ideas and changing interpretations. Especially, the current type of “naive” admiration of self-employment, often in combination with normative upgrading in terms of entrepreneurship, must be advised to analyse and to think historically. At the same time, many present day self-employed “jobs” would have been standard employment contracts some ten years ago. In this respects current de-bates on precarization are also linked with debates on self-employment

Cecum perforation due to tuberculosis in a renal transplant recipient: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Tuberculosis can present in many varied clinical situations in immunosuppressed patients. It has been reported that the sigmoid colon is the most common site for colonic perforation in renal transplant recipients and diverticulitis is its most common cause. Cecal perforation because of tuberculosis is extremely rare in a renal transplant recipient. We present the case of a renal transplant patient with cecal perforation due to tuberculosis, 10 years after renal transplantation.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 39-year-old Caucasian man, who was a renal transplant recipient, was admitted to our emergency surgery unit with an acute abdomen. A cecal perforation was found at exploratory laparotomy, and a right hemicolectomy with an end ileostomy and transverse colonic mucous fistula were performed. Necrotizing granulomatous colitis due to tuberculosis was reported in the histopathologic examination.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Colonic perforations in immunosuppressed patients may have unusual presentations and unusual causes. Tuberculosis infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis during the histopathologic evaluation in immunocompromised patients such as renal transplant recipients.</p

Sequential Metabolism of 7-Dehydrocholesterol to Steroidal 5,7-Dienes in Adrenal Glands and Its Biological Implication in the Skin

Since P450scc transforms 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) to 7-dehydropregnenolone (7DHP) in vitro, we investigated sequential 7DHC metabolism by adrenal glands ex vivo. There was a rapid, time- and dose-dependent metabolism of 7DHC by adrenals from rats, pigs, rabbits and dogs with production of more polar 5,7-dienes as detected by RP-HPLC. Based on retention time (RT), UV spectra and mass spectrometry, we identified the major products common to all tested species as 7DHP, 22-hydroxy-7DHC and 20,22-dihydroxy-7DHC. The involvement of P450scc in adrenal metabolic transformation was confirmed by the inhibition of this process by DL-aminoglutethimide. The metabolism of 7DHC with subsequent production of 7DHP was stimulated by forscolin indicating involvement of cAMP dependent pathways. Additional minor products of 7DHC metabolism that were more polar than 7DHP were identified as 17-hydroxy-7DHP (in pig adrenals but not those of rats) and as pregna-4,7-diene-3,20-dione (7-dehydroprogesterone). Both products represented the major identifiable products of 7DHP metabolism in adrenal glands. Studies with purified enzymes show that StAR protein likely transports 7DHC to the inner mitochondrial membrane, that 7DHC can compete effectively with cholesterol for the substrate binding site on P450scc and that the catalytic efficiency of 3βHSD for 7DHP (Vm/Km) is 40% of that for pregnenolone. Skin mitochondria are capable of transforming 7DHC to 7DHP and the 7DHP is metabolized further by skin extracts. Finally, 7DHP, its photoderivative 20-oxopregnacalciferol, and pregnenolone exhibited biological activity in skin cells including inhibition of proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes and melanocytes, and melanoma cells. These findings define a novel steroidogenic pathway: 7DHC→22(OH)7DHC→20,22(OH)27DHC→7DHP, with potential further metabolism of 7DHP mediated by 3βHSD or CYP17, depending on mammalian species. The 5–7 dienal intermediates of the pathway can be a source of biologically active vitamin D3 derivatives after delivery to or production in the skin, an organ intermittently exposed to solar radiation

The Cholesterol Metabolite 25-Hydroxycholesterol Activates Estrogen Receptor α-Mediated Signaling in Cancer Cells and in Cardiomyocytes

The hydroxylated derivatives of cholesterol, such as the oxysterols, play important roles in lipid metabolism. In particular, 25-hydroxycholesterol (25 HC) has been implicated in a variety of metabolic events including cholesterol homeostasis and atherosclerosis. 25 HC is detectable in human plasma after ingestion of a meal rich in oxysterols and following a dietary cholesterol challenge. In addition, the levels of oxysterols, including 25 HC, have been found to be elevated in hypercholesterolemic serum.Here, we demonstrate that the estrogen receptor (ER) α mediates gene expression changes and growth responses induced by 25 HC in breast and ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, 25 HC exhibits the ERα-dependent ability like 17 β-estradiol (E2) to inhibit the up-regulation of HIF-1α and connective tissue growth factor by hypoxic conditions in cardiomyocytes and rat heart preparations and to prevent the hypoxia-induced apoptosis.The estrogen action exerted by 25 HC may be considered as an additional factor involved in the progression of breast and ovarian tumors. Moreover, the estrogen-like activity of 25 HC elicited in the cardiovascular system may play a role against hypoxic environments

An update on oxysterol biochemistry: New discoveries in lipidomics

Oxysterols are oxidised derivatives of cholesterol or its precursors post lanosterol. They are intermediates in the biosynthesis of bile acids, steroid hormones and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Although often considered as metabolic intermediates there is a growing body of evidence that many oxysterols are bioactive and their absence or excess may be part of the cause of a disease phenotype. Using global lipidomics approaches oxysterols are underrepresented encouraging the development of targeted approaches. In this article, we discuss recent discoveries important in oxysterol biochemistry and some of the targeted lipidomic approaches used to make these discoveries