Decision uncertainty in multiobjective optimization

In many real-world optimization problems, a solution cannot be realized in practice exactly as computed, e.g., it may be impossible to produce a board of exactly 3.546~mm width. Whenever computed solutions are not realized exactly but in a perturbed way, we speak of decision uncertainty. We study decision uncertainty in multiobjective optimization problems and we propose the concept decision robust efficiency for evaluating the robustness of a solution in this case. Therefore, we address decision uncertainty within the framework of set-valued maps. First, we prove that convexity and continuity are preserved by the resulting set-valued mappings. Second, we obtain specific results for particular classes of objective functions that are relevant for solving the set-valued problem. We furthermore prove that decision robust efficient solutions can be found by solving a deterministic problem in case of linear objective functions. We also investigate the relationship of the proposed concept to other concepts in the literature

The assessment of mood at workplace - psychometric analyses of the revised Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire

With the Profile of Mood States (POMS), a German version of an international instrument for the assessment of mood is available. The paper introduces a new short version containing 24 items and four scales. In a study about indoor climate in 4596 office workers only a few missing values were noted. Psychometric analyses showed very good characteristics of the four scales regarding their internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and scale fit. High floor effects indicated a limited exhaustion of the scale range. Age and gender effects of the scale scores concerned the scales “vigour” and “fatigue”. Furthermore, the scales of the POMS discriminated between groups with different self-reported disease incidences. A less beneficial characteristic of the POMS could be noted in terms of a high correlation of the scales “numbness” and “fatigue". With the tested version of the POMS, a short instrument with good psychometric properties has been presented which can be assessed in healthy as well as in health-impaired persons

Participatory urban green knowledge on the first symposium on urban green in Braunschweig – water in garden and city

Das Gartennetzwerk Braunschweig veranstaltete im Jahre 2022 seinen ersten Braunschweiger Stadtgrüntag. Der Stadtgrüntag soll die Akteure des Gartennetzwerkes über wichtige Fragen der Funktion des Stadtgrüns informieren und Verständnis für Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten verschiedener Akteure schaffen. Der erste Stadtgrüntag widmete sich dem Thema Wasser in Garten und Stadt und untersuchte in Vorträgen und einer anschließenden Exkursion den Wasserkreislauf in der Stadt.In 2022, the Garden Network Braunschweig organized its first Urban Green Day. The Urban Green Day is intended to inform the actors in the garden network about important questions relating to the function of urban green plants and spaces and to create an understanding of the interactive options of various actors. The first Urban Green Day was dedicated to the topic of water in garden and city and examined the water cycle in the city in lectures and a subsequent excursion

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of Parkinson?s disease

Although over 90 independent risk variants have been identified for Parkinson’s disease using genome-wide association studies, most studies have been performed in just one population at a time. Here we performed a large-scale multi-ancestry meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease with 49,049 cases, 18,785 proxy cases and 2,458,063 controls including individuals of European, East Asian, Latin American and African ancestry. In a meta-analysis, we identified 78 independent genome-wide significant loci, including 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) and fine-mapped 6 putative causal variants at 6 known PD loci. By combining our results with publicly available eQTL data, we identified 25 putative risk genes in these novel loci whose expression is associated with PD risk. This work lays the groundwork for future efforts aimed at identifying PD loci in non-European populations

[Analgesia for pediatric patients. Standards and special aspects]

In this paper we describe the assessment and medical treatment of pain in children according to the concept of the Centre of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the university of Freiburg, Germany. Opiate therapy in children as well as novel data about the association of paracetamol (acetaminophen) and wheezing/asthma bronchiale in children are discussed. Special aspects of analgesia for painful procedures and a nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture which has been recently introduced in Germany are described. The second part of the paper presents results of our prospective study about continuous infusion of fentanyl and midazolam in a fixed combination in 19 critically ill patients with a median age of 46 months, 40% of these patients had an ARDS. The mortality rate was 21%. A median dose of fentanyl of 3.9 microg/kg/h (midazolam 0.26 mg/kg/h) was infused. The fentanyl serum level (median 4.2 ng/ml, range 1.7-17.8 ng/ml) correlated significantly with the administered dose while the midazolam serum levels (median 911 ng/ml, range 234-4 651 ng/ml) correlated neither with the administered dose nor with any of the analysed parameters. Conclusion: A standard protocol for the assessment and treatment of pain should be established in every pediatric hospital. The data about the association of asthma bronchiale and paracetamol cannot be interpreted conclusively, but show that even for well known substances clinical trials may lead to new awareness. The study data about continuous infusion of fentanyl and midazolam show a good correlation of the fentanyl application to serum levels, while midazolam appears to be not the optimal substance for continuous sedation in this setting