Plant Protection in organic production of Brassica vegetables and oilseed rape

Growers of organic Brassica vegetables and oilseed rape face the same potentially severe plant protection problems as their colleagues in conventional or integrated pest management systems.Management strategies in organic systems rely on preventive measures (crop rotation, crop isolation,soil management, host plant resistance, farm/field location; manipulate timing of planting or harvest; intercropping, mulching), use of functional agro-biodiversity (reduction of pest by enhancing natural enemies), release of biocontrol agents and a few approved pesticides of biological and mineral origin, as well as mating disruption or the use of anti-insect nets (Zehnder et al., 2007). The methods used in organic might also be applicable in IPM systems. However, several factors hamper wide implementation of these methods in IPM. Among the main reasons are (1) a lower efficacy compared to standard pesticide treatments, (2) higher costs, (3) lack of knowledge / information / advice on alternative methods, (4) inconvenience, and (5) the need for close collaboration between neighbouring famers to achieve good control. In the following paper, we describe the methods used in organic Brassica vegetable and oilseed rape production, and discuss their limitations

The implementation of gender mainstreaming in European sport

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Umsetzung von Gender Mainstreaming Strategien im Sport und untersucht deren Handhabung im Rahmen konkreter nationaler und europäischer Beispiele. Ausgewählt wurden die Länder Österreich, Norwegen und Kosovo, um Einblick in verschiedene Methoden und Umsetzungsfortschritte zu erhalten. Zusätzlich sollte exemplarisch das Vorgehen von Sportinstitutionen auf der internationalen Ebene dargestellt werden. Während die Europäische Kommission (DG EAC) als Repräsentantin für staatliche Strukturen fungierte, wurde die European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO) als entsprechende nicht-staatliches Sportorganisation in die Analyse einbezogen. Um den zentralen Fragestellungen nachzugehen, wurde für dieses Forschungsvorhaben eine Kombination aus hermeneutischen und qualitativen Analysemethoden gewählt. In der empirischen Untersuchung werden halbstandardisierte Experteninterviews mit qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Die Interviewleitfäden und das Kategoriensystem wurden in Anlehnung an die Theorie entwickelt und gemäß den thematischen Anforderungen adaptiert. Die vorliegende Analyse der konzeptionellen Rahmenbedingungen von Gender Mainstreaming im Sport zeigt auf, dass auf nationaler Ebene aktuell verschiedene Umsetzungsstrategien hinsichtlich der Gleichstellung von Männern und Frauen verfolgt werden. Daran ändern auch internationale Richtlinien nichts, da diese durch ihren unverbindlichen Charakter darauf bedacht sind, die individuellen Lösungsansätze der Mitgliedsstaaten zu respektieren bzw. zu unterstützen. Trotz der großen Bandbreite der Gleichstellungsbemühungen und Förderprojekte konnte eine konkrete Gender Mainstreaming Strategie weder auf nationaler noch auf internationaler Ebene explizit festgestellt werden.This thesis deals with Gender Mainstreaming strategies in sport and thereby scrutinizes the initial question of how it is implemented in different settings throughout Europe. Three European countries, Austria, Norway and Kosovo therefore served as national examples. In addition, the Directorate General of Education and Culture (DG EAC) of the European Commission and ENGSO provided the exemplary analyses of international strategies. The study was realized through a dual approach of literature analyses and qualitative research methods. The first part of this thesis provides a theoretical approach to baseline definitions, legal basics and the division of responsibilities. As well, it stresses different implementation options and methods. The subsequent empirical part follows the principals of qualitative research and can be coarsely structured in the conduction of semi-standardized expert interviews, the development of appropriate categories and the data presentation through qualitative content analyses. How far sports organisations are handling the foremost political strategy of Gender Mainstreaming on a national level, has not yet been analyzed in a comprehensive manner. Consequently, this lack of information is hereby met by the conduction of interviews with domestic and international experts for governmental and non-governmental sport structures. The findings illustrate the conceptual framework of Gender Mainstreaming in sport and thereby reveal different implementation options actually carried out in different settings. Due to the autonomy of member states and the well separated pillar of governments and sports organisations, there is a great variety of ideas about how to approach gender-related issues in sport. However, explicit Gender Mainstreaming policies for sport are therefore in most cases nonexistent. Even if Gender Mainstreaming in national sports is on the agenda to an extent, discussions in terms of the allocation of responsibilities are foremost dominated by disagreement

The disarmament of land mines post conflict with emphasis on Western SAHARA

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract.LL.M. (International Law

Resilience and the self-righting power of development : observations of impoverished Brazilian children in person-centred playtherapy

A chapter on observations of impoverished Brazilian children in person-centred playtherap

How can we improve stroke thrombolysis rates? : a review of health system factors and approaches associated with thrombolysis administration rates in acute stroke care

Background: Thrombolysis using intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is one of few evidence-based acute stroke treatments, yet achieving high rates of IV tPA delivery has been problematic. The 4.5-h treatment window, the complexity of determining eligibility criteria and the availability of expertise and required resources may impact on treatment rates, with barriers encountered at the levels of the individual clinician, the social context and the health system itself. The review aimed to describe health system factors associated with higher rates of IV tPA administration for ischemic stroke and to identify whether system-focussed interventions increased tPA rates for ischemic stroke. Methods: Published original English-language research from four electronic databases spanning 1997-2014 was examined. Observational studies of the association between health system factors and tPA rates were described separately from studies of system-focussed intervention strategies aiming to increase tPA rates. Where study outcomes were sufficiently similar, a pooled meta-analysis of outcomes was conducted. Results: Forty-one articles met the inclusion criteria: 7 were methodologically rigorous interventions that met the Cochrane Collaboration Evidence for Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) study design guidelines and 34 described observed associations between health system factors and rates of IV tPA. System-related factors generally associated with higher IV tPA rates were as follows: urban location, centralised or hub and spoke models, treatment by a neurologist/stroke nurse, in a neurology department/stroke unit or teaching hospital, being admitted by ambulance or mobile team and stroke-specific protocols. Results of the intervention studies suggest that telemedicine approaches did not consistently increase IV tPA rates. Quality improvement strategies appear able to provide modest increases in stroke thrombolysis (pooled odds ratio=2.1, p=0.05). Conclusions: In order to improve IV tPA rates in acute stroke care, specific health system factors need to be targeted. Multi-component quality improvement approaches can improve IV tPA rates for stroke, although more thoughtfully designed and well-reported trials are required to safely increase rates of IV tPA to eligible stroke patients

Impacto do Bem-Estar no Trabalho Sobre as Relações da Autoeficácia com Burnout

Os níveis de bem-estar afetivo e autoeficácia ocupacional podem atuar como fatores protetivos ao desenvolvimento de burnout. Em razão disso, este estudo investigou o papel dos afetos positivos e negativos como um mediador das relações entre a autoeficácia ocupacional e as dimensões de burnout. Participaram desta pesquisa 584 profissionais (87% mulheres), idade media 37,8 (DP= 10,8). Os resultados da análise de equações estruturais demonstraram que as relações da autoeficácia ocupacional com a exaustão emocional e despersonalização foram completamente mediadas pelos afetos negativos e positivos. As relações entre a autoeficácia ocupacional e a realização profissional foi parcialmente mediada pelos afetos positivos. A autoeficácia ocupacional esteve positivamente associada aos afetos positivos e negativamente aos afetos negativos. Este estudo acrescenta ao apresentar a importância de desenvolver intervenções que promovam a vivência de afetos positivos e redução dos afetos negativos no ambiente ocupacional como uma estratégia preventiva ao burnout.Los niveles del bienestar afectivo y autoeficacia ocupacional pueden actuar como factores de protección para el burnout. Debido a esto, este estudio analizó el papel de los afectos positivos y negativos como un mediador de las relaciones entre la autoeficacia ocupacional y las dimensiones del burnout. Participaron en esta investigación 584 profesionales (87% mujeres), edad media 37,8 (DE = 10,8). Los resultados del análisis de ecuaciones estructurales demostraron que las relaciones de autoeficacia ocupacional con agotamiento emocional y con despersonalización fueron completamente mediadas por afectos negativos y positivos. Las relaciones entre autoeficacia ocupacional y realización profesional fueron parcialmente mediadas por afectos positivos. La autoeficacia ocupacional estuvo positivamente asociada a afectos positivos y negativamente a afectos negativos. El aporte de este estudio es resaltar la importancia de desarrollar intervenciones que promuevan la vivencia de afectos positivos y reducción de afectos negativos en el trabajo como una estrategia preventiva del burnout.The levels of job-related affective well-being and occupational self-efficacy may act as protective factors against the development of burnout. Therefore, this study investigated the role of positive and negative affect as a mediator in the relations between occupational self-efficacy and the dimensions of burnout. The research participants were 584 professionals (87% female), mean age 37.8 (SD= 10.8). The results of the structural equation modeling analysis indicated that the relations of occupational self-efficacy with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were completely mediated by positive and negative affect. The relation between occupational self-efficacy and personal accomplishment was partially mediated by positive affect. Occupational self-efficacy was positively associated to positive affect and negatively related to negative affect. This study adds by showing the importance of developing interventions that promote the experience of positive affect and reduction of negative affect in occupational settings as a preventive strategy of burnout

Trauma-Associated Tinnitus: Audiological, Demographic and Clinical Characteristics

Background: Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes. Objective: By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma. Materials: A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL). Results: Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender. Conclusions: Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and - at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and for developing more tailored treatment approaches as well.Fil: Kreuzer, Peter M.. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Landgrebe, Michael. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Schecklmann, Martin. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Staudinger, Susanne. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Langguth, Berthold. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Vielsmeier, Veronika. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Kleinjung, Tobias. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Lehner, Astrid. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Poeppl, Timm B.. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Figueiredo, Ricardo. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Azevedo, Andréia. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Binetti, Ana Carolina. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Elgoyhen, Ana Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Rates, Marcelo. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Coelho, Claudia. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Vanneste, Sven. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: de Ridder, Dirk. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: van de Heyning, Paul. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Zeman, Florian. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Mohr, Markus. The TRI Database Study Group; AlemaniaFil: Koller, Michael. The TRI Database Study Group; Alemani

Circadian rhythms in septic shock patients

Background: Despite the intensive efforts to improve the diagnosis and therapy of sepsis over the last decade, the mortality of septic shock remains high and causes substantial socioeconomical burden of disease. The function of immune cells is time-of-day-dependent and is regulated by several circadian clock genes. This study aims to investigate whether the rhythmicity of clock gene expression is altered in patients with septic shock. Methods: This prospective pilot study was performed at the university hospital Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine (CCM, CVK). We included 20 patients with septic shock between May 2014 and January 2018, from whom blood was drawn every 4 h over a 24-h period to isolate CD14-positive monocytes and to measure the expression of 17 clock and clock-associated genes. Of these patients, 3 whose samples expressed fewer than 8 clock genes were excluded from the final analysis. A rhythmicity score S-P was calculated, which comprises values between -1 (arrhythmic) and 1 (rhythmic), and expression data were compared to data of a healthy study population additionally. Results: 77% of the measured clock genes showed inconclusive rhythms, i.e., neither rhythmic nor arrhythmic. The clock genes NR1D1, NR1D2 and CRY2 were the most rhythmic, while CLOCK and ARNTL were the least rhythmic. Overall, the rhythmicity scores for septic shock patients were significantly (p < 0.0001) lower (0.23 +/- 0.26) compared to the control group (12 healthy young men, 0.70 +/- 0.18). In addition, the expression of clock genes CRY1, NR1D1, NR1D2, DBP, and PER2 was suppressed in septic shock patients and CRY2 was significantly upregulated compared to controls. Conclusion: Molecular rhythms in immune cells of septic shock patients were substantially altered and decreased compared to healthy young men. The decrease in rhythmicity was clock gene-dependent. The loss of rhythmicity and down-regulation of clock gene expression might be caused by sepsis and might further deteriorate immune responses and organ injury, but further studies are necessary to understand underlying pathophysiological mechanisms