Economic thinking and risk attitudes: An empirical study

In the light of the current economic crisis, which had its roots in high risk dealings in the international financial markets, the question how economically minded students are and what propensity towards risk they have, are essential to improving their financial literacy. In a broad survey including economic and non-economic schools 649 students aged 14 and 18 were questioned. In this paper results are presented and implications for classroom teaching and curricular development are derived

Modelling and validation of energy systems with dynamically operated Power to Gas plants for gas-based sector coupling in de-central energy hubs

Participants of the COP 26 summit have agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 K by 2050. Out of the many strategies envisaged to meet the targets of COP 26, the ‘Sector Coupling’ process aims to use renewable electricity in residential heating, chemical industry, and transportation sectors. Several studies predict that de-central energy systems will play a significant role in the future. Among the proposed sector coupling strategies in de-central energy systems, the Power to Gas (PtG) process producing chemical energy carriers like Substitute Natural Gas (SNG) from renewable power is gaining acceptance. Numerical models of de-central energy systems are needed to analyse sector coupling under fluctuating renewable energy generation and changing gas demand. This study introduces a numerical model of a decentral energy system that includes a novel methanation concept developed at the Engler Bunte Institut of KIT called 3 Phase Methanation. Here, H2 from electrolysis and CO2 from DAC or other biomass-based sources are passed through a slurry bubble column reactor. The slurry is a suspension of the catalyst in a liquid heat transfer medium where the heat of the reaction is dissipated. The 3-Phase methanation process is modelled in this study using the axial dispersion method. Earlier studies describing experimental campaigns conducted on the pilot plant in KIT have proven that the reactor core is nearly isothermal with stable product gas compositions even if the load changes are instantaneous. In this study, it is shown that the numerical model can replicate the experimental results. Following modelling and validation, the numerical model of the PtG plant is integrated with the other components to simulate the de-central energy system. The simulation results demonstrate the dynamic output of all the components and, in particular, the response provided by the PtG plant. This model can be adapted to simulate sector coupling in future de-central energy systems and analyse aspects like long-term energy storage, GHG minimisation and cost-optimal operation

Global marine bacterial diversity peaks at high latitudes in winter.

Genomic approaches to characterizing bacterial communities are revealing significant differences in diversity and composition between environments. But bacterial distributions have not been mapped at a global scale. Although current community surveys are way too sparse to map global diversity patterns directly, there is now sufficient data to fit accurate models of how bacterial distributions vary across different environments and to make global scale maps from these models. We apply this approach to map the global distributions of bacteria in marine surface waters. Our spatially and temporally explicit predictions suggest that bacterial diversity peaks in temperate latitudes across the world's oceans. These global peaks are seasonal, occurring 6 months apart in the two hemispheres, in the boreal and austral winters. This pattern is quite different from the tropical, seasonally consistent diversity patterns observed for most macroorganisms. However, like other marine organisms, surface water bacteria are particularly diverse in regions of high human environmental impacts on the oceans. Our maps provide the first picture of bacterial distributions at a global scale and suggest important differences between the diversity patterns of bacteria compared with other organisms

Simvastatin Reduces Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Decreasing Neutrophil Recruitment and Radical Formation

Treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) remains an unsolved problem in intensive care medicine. As simvastatin exerts protective effects in inflammatory diseases we explored its effects on development of ALI and due to the importance of neutrophils in ALI also on neutrophil effector functions. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to aerosolized LPS (500 µg/ml) for 30 min. The count of alveolar, interstitial, and intravasal neutrophils were assessed 4 h later by flow cytometry. Lung permeability changes were assessed by FITC-dextran clearance and albumin content in the BAL fluid. In vitro, we analyzed the effect of simvastatin on neutrophil adhesion, degranulation, apoptosis, and formation of reactive oxygen species. To monitor effects of simvastatin on bacterial clearance we performed phagocytosis and bacterial killing studies in vitro as well as sepsis experiments in mice. Simvastatin treatment before and after onset of ALI reduces neutrophil influx into the lung as well as lung permeability indicating the protective role of simvastatin in ALI. Moreover, simvastatin reduces the formation of ROS species and adhesion of neutrophils without affecting apoptosis, bacterial phagocytosis and bacterial clearance. Simvastatin reduces recruitment and activation of neutrophils hereby protecting from LPS-induced ALI. Our results imply a potential role for statins in the management of ALI

Расчет бокового магнитного сопротивления электромагнитных молотков

Hemolysis is an inevitable side effect of cardiopulmonary bypass resulting in increased plasma free hemoglobin that may impair tissue perfusion by scavenging nitric oxide. Acute kidney injury after on-pump cardiovascular surgery arises from a number of causes and severely affects patient morbidity and mortality. Here, we studied the effect of acute hemolysis on renal injury in 35 patients undergoing on-pump surgical repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms of whom 19 experienced acute kidney injury. During surgery, plasma free hemoglobin increased, as did urinary excretion of the tubular injury marker N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, in patients with and without acute kidney injury, reaching peak levels at 2 h and 15 min, respectively, after reperfusion. Furthermore, plasma free hemoglobin was independently and significantly correlated with the urine biomarker, which, in turn, was independently and significantly associated with the later postoperative increase in serum creatinine. Importantly, peak plasma free hemoglobin and urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase concentrations had significant predictive value for postoperative acute kidney injury. Thus, we found an association between increased plasma free hemoglobin and renal injury casting new light on the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury. Therefore, free hemoglobin is a new therapeutic target to improve clinical outcome after on-pump cardiovascular surgery

Types of information systems and technologies of a company

Nowadays in the age of global economy, information becomes a key resource of management and can be determined as a key competitive advantage of a company. For most businesses, there is a variety of requirements for information. The paper presents types of information systems and technologies in the effective administrative decisionmaking that promotes increase of a company's competitiveness. The emphasis is placed on types of information systems at different levels of management and their functional mission from the point of view of administrative decisions made at a particular level of management. Various researchers have given classifications of information systems and technologies, but their classifications have no integrity. The author proposes a generalized classification of information systems and technologies, based on different studies, theories, methodologies.В настоящее время в эпоху глобальной экономики, информация становится ключевым ресурсом управления и может быть определена в качестве ключевого конкурентного преимущества компании. Для большинства предприятий, существует множество требований к информации. В статье представлены виды информационных систем и технологий в эффективном принятии административных решений, что способствует повышению конкурентоспособности компании. Акцент делается на виды информационных систем на различных уровнях управления и их функциональном предназначении с точки зрения управленческих решений, в зависимости от уровня управления. Классификация информационных систем и технологий является предметом многих исследований, но обобщенной классификации пока не было представлено. Автор предлагает обобщенную классификацию информационных систем и технологий, основанную на различных исследованиях, теориях, методиках

Role of the CX3C chemokine receptor CX3CR1 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis after aortic transplantation

Background: The CX3C chemokine receptor CX3CR1 is expressed on monocytes as well as tissue resident cells, such as smooth muscle cells ( SMCs). Its role in atherosclerotic tissue remodeling of the aorta after transplantation has not been investigated. Methods: We here have orthotopically transplanted infrarenal Cx3cr1(-/-) Apoe(-/-) and Cx3cr1(+/+) Apoe(-/-)aortic segments into Apoe(-/-) mice, as well as Apoe(-/-) aortic segments into Cx3cr1(-/-) Apoe(-/-)mice. The intimal plaque size and cellular plaque composition of the transplanted aortic segment were analyzed after four weeks of atherogenic diet. Results: Transplantation of Cx3cr(-/-) Apoe(-/-) aortic segments into Apoe(-/-) mice resulted in reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation compared to plaque size in Apoe(-/-) or Cx3cr1(-/-) Apoe(-/-) mice after transplantation of Apoe(-/-) aortas. This reduction in lesion formation was associated with reduced numbers of lesional SMCs but not macrophages within the transplanted Cx3cr(-/-) Apoe(-/-) aortic segment. No differences in frequencies of proliferating and apoptotic cells could be observed. Conclusion These results indicate that CX3CR1 on resident vessel wall cells plays a key role in atherosclerotic plaque formation in transplanted aortic grafts. Targeting of vascular CX3CL1/ CX3CR1 may therefore be explored as a therapeutic option in vascular transplantation procedures

Использование жидкостей ГРП на основе дизельного топлива для низкотемпературных газовых пластов

Aim: Stroke and paraplegia are devasting complications of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. The aim of this study was to analyse the value of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD), electroencephalogram (EEG) and motor-evoked potentials (MEP) in preventing neurological complications. Moreover, the principles, technology and surgical protocols are described. Patients and Methods: In 2009, 22 patients (4 females, 18 males) underwent thoracic or thoracoabdominal open aortic repair. We performed 2 arches with descending aortic replacement, 5 arches with TAAA repair, 2 type II, 9 type III, 3 type IV and one type V TAAA aortic repair. In 6 patients, the neuromonitoring included TCD, EEG and MEPs. In 15 patients only MEP monitoring was necessary. In one patient who was operated on in an emergency setting, neuromonitoring was not performed. The surgical approach was a left thoracotomy in 3 and a left thoracolaparotomy in 19 patients. The surgical protocol included cerebrospinal fluid drainage (n=22), moderate (n=19) or deep hypothermia (n=2), and extracorporeal circulation (n=21) with retrograde aortic perfusion and selective cerebral and/or viscerorenal perfusion. Results: In 21 patients, the neuromonitoring could be established successfully. Using TCD and EEG, a relevant cerebral ischaemia during supraaortic clamping was excluded. With a mean distal arterial pressure of 60 mmHg, the MEPs remained adequate in 15 patients (68.2%). Increasing of the blood pressure restored the MEPs in one patient. In 5 patients (22.7%), a reimplantation of segmental arteries (n=4) or of the left subclavian artery (n=1) re-established spinal cord perfusion, as indicated by restored MEPs. We had no absent MEPs at the end of the procedures. Delayed paraparesis developed in 2 patients with a haemodynamic instability during the postoperative course. Paraplegia was not observed. Conclusion: TCD, EEG and MEPs are reliable techniques to unmask cerebral or spinal cord ischaemia during aortic surgery. Immediate operative strategies based on neuromonitoring information prevent neurological complications in aortic surgery

Повышение эффективности управления расчетами с персоналом по оплате труда посредством внедрения электронного документооборота

В данной статье рассмотрены понятие документооборота, его роль на предприятии, взаимодействие бухгалтерии с другими предприятиями через документооборот, а также проблемы, возникающие при взаимодействии, понятие системы электронного документооборота, преимущества и недостатки электронного документооборота

Meson-baryon coupling constants in two-flavor lattice QCD

We evaluate the pseudoscalar-meson coupling constants and the strangeness-conservingand the strangeness-changing axial charges of octet baryons in lattice QCD with two flavors ofdynamical quarks.We find that the coupling constants and the axial charges have rather weak quarkmassdependence and the breaking in SU(3)-flavor symmetry is small at each quark-mass point weconsider.Yukawa International Program for Quark-Hadron Sciences ; KAKENHIpost-prin