Contribution of online trading of used goods to resource efficiency : an empirical study of eBay users

This paper discusses the sustainability impact (contribution to sustainability, reduction of adverse environmental impacts) of online second-hand trading. A survey of eBay users shows that a relationship between the trading of used goods and the protection of natural resources is hardly realized. Secondly, the environmental motivation and the willingness to act in a sustainable manner differ widely between groups of consumers. Given these results from a user perspective, the paper tries to find some objective hints of online second-hand trading’s environmental impact. The greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the energy used for the trading transactions seem to be considerably lower than the emissions due to the (avoided) production of new goods. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for second-hand trade and consumer policy. Information about the sustainability benefits of purchasing second-hand goods should be included in general consumer information, and arguments for changes in behavior should be targeted to different groups of consumers. Keywords: online marketplaces; online auctions; consumer; electronic commerce; used products; second-hand market; sustainable consumptio

Optimizing Measurement of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Small Blood Samples of Premature Infants

To establish a method that allows for the reliable assessment of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) concentrations in very small blood samples of preterm infants. Systemic VEGF measurements are important in view of the most appropriate Anti-VEGF drug to be used for the treatment of acute retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Cord blood samples from preterm (n = 6) infants, blood samples from preterm infants with treatment requiring ROP (n = 12), and blood samples from healthy adults (n = 10) were collected. Serum, citrate plasma, and serum from recalcified citrate blood were obtained. Levels of VEGF-A and platelet factor-4 (PF-4) were quantified by ELISA or AlphaLISA immunoassay. VEGF-A levels could be detected by both assays, with the AlphaLISA generating slightly lower levels in healthy adults, but not in cord blood of preterm infants. In plasma samples, VEGF levels ranged from non detectable to 181 pg/ml. PF-4 concentrations were between 0.16-3.88 microg/ml. Values of VEGF-A and PF-4 in serum and recalcified serum were significantly higher compared to plasma through the release of these cytokines after platelet activation. In plasma samples of infants with ROP, VEGF-A could always be detected and its values ranged from 19.50 to 245.91 pg/ml and PF-4 concentrations were between 0.1 and 3.3 microg/ml. Using the AlphaLISA kit, we were able to detect VEGF in small sample volumes (5 microl plasma or serum/well) in premature infants with treatment requiring ROP and to monitor platelet activation by PF-4 detection. Minimal blood probe volumes reduce phlebotomy losses avoiding the risk of iatrogenic anemia, thus allowing close monitoring of the cytokine levels in these very fragile infants

OCT-Based Macular Structure-Function Correlation in Dependence on Birth Weight and Gestational Age : the Giessen Long-Term ROP Study

Abstract Purpose: To compare retinal layer thicknesses in preterm and term-born children using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and to correlate structure with retinal function. Methods: We performed SD-OCT single and volume scans in the foveal region of premature children aged 6 to 13 years without ROP (no-ROP, n = 100) and with spontaneously regressed ROP (sr-ROP, n = 50) documented with wide-angle digital imaging during routine screening for acute ROP, and 30 age-matched term-born children. Retinal layer segmentation and analysis was performed with custom-made software in single and volume-scans using an Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid-based method, and compared to light increment sensitivity (LIS) data obtained with a microperimeter at eccentricity points of 0°, 2.8°, and 8°, as previously described. Results: Overall, seven children had to be excluded due to poor image quality (n = 1 no-ROP; n = 2 sr-ROP; n = 4 term). Total retina, ganglion cell + inner plexiform layer (GCL+) and outer nuclear layer + external limiting membrane (ONL+) thickness at the foveal center in no-ROP and sr-ROP were significantly higher compared with term children. Gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) were inversely correlated with these layer thicknesses. Rod and cone outer segment length did not differ in either group. The ratio of ONL+ to the whole retina at 0° correlated significantly with reduced LIS. Conclusions: Increased thicknesses of the entire retina or specific layers at the fovea did not correlate with functional loss; but a thinner ONL in retinae without foveal pit did. This reduced ONL+ ratio is potentially caused by a reduced foveal cone density and may be the first morphologic functional correlate in prematurity and ROP

Immuno-histochemical analysis of rod and cone reaction to RPE65 deficiency in the inferior and superior canine retina

Mutations in the RPE65 gene are associated with autosomal recessive early onset severe retinal dystrophy. Morphological and functional studies indicate early and dramatic loss of rod photoreceptors and early loss of S-cone function, while L and M cones remain initially functional. The Swedish Briard dog is a naturally occurring animal model for this disease. Detailed information about rod and cone reaction to RPE65 deficiency in this model with regard to their location within the retina remains limited. The aim of this study was to analyze morphological parameters of cone and rod viability in young adult RPE65 deficient dogs in different parts of the retina in order to shed light on local disparities in this disease. In retinae of affected dogs, sprouting of rod bipolar cell dendrites and horizontal cell processes was dramatically increased in the inferior peripheral part of affected retinae, while central inferior and both superior parts did not display significantly increased sprouting. This observation was correlated with photoreceptor cell layer thickness. Interestingly, while L/M cone opsin expression was uniformly reduced both in the superior and inferior part of the retina, S-cone opsin expression loss was less severe in the inferior part of the retina. In summary, in retinae of young adult RPE65 deficient dogs, the degree of rod bipolar and horizontal cell sprouting as well as of S-cone opsin expression depends on the location. As the human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is pigmented similar to the RPE in the inferior part of the canine retina, and the kinetics of photoreceptor degeneration in humans seems to be similar to what has been observed in the inferior peripheral retina in dogs, this area should be studied in future gene therapy experiments in this model

VISION - Vienna survey in Orion. III. Young stellar objects in Orion A

38 pages, 25 figures, Accepted for publication by A&A. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics. © 2018 ESOWe extend and refine the existing young stellar object (YSO) catalogs for the Orion A molecular cloud, the closest massive star-forming region to Earth. This updated catalog is driven by the large spatial coverage (18.3 deg^2, ~950 pc^2), seeing limited resolution (~0.7''), and sensitivity (Ks<19 mag) of the ESO-VISTA near-infrared survey of the Orion A cloud (VISION). Combined with archival mid- to far-infrared data, the VISTA data allow for a refined and more robust source selection. We estimate that among previously known protostars and pre-main-sequence stars with disks, source contamination levels (false positives) are at least ∼7% and ∼2.5%, respectively, mostly due to background galaxies and nebulosities. We identify 274 new YSO candidates using VISTA/Spitzer based selections within previously analyzed regions, and VISTA/WISE based selections to add sources in the surroundings, beyond previously analyzed regions. The WISE selection method recovers about 59% of the known YSOs in Orion A's low-mass star-forming part L1641, which shows what can be achieved by the all-sky WISE survey in combination with deep near-infrared data in regions without the influence of massive stars. The new catalog contains 2978 YSOs, which were classified based on the de-reddened mid-infrared spectral index into 188 protostars, 184 flat-spectrum sources, and 2606 pre-main-sequence stars with circumstellar disks. We find a statistically significant difference in the spatial distribution of the three evolutionary classes with respect to regions of high dust column-density, confirming that flat-spectrum sources are at a younger evolutionary phase compared to Class IIs, and are not a sub-sample seen at particular viewing angles.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Clinical characterization of 66 patients with congenital retinal disease due to the deep-intronic c.2991+1655A>G mutation in CEP290

Purpose: To describe the phenotypic spectrum of retinal disease caused by the c.2991+1655A>G mutation in CEP290 and to compare disease severity between homozygous and compound heterozygous patients. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), age of onset, fundoscopy descriptions. Foveal outer nuclear layer (ONL) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) presence was assessed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Differences between compound heterozygous and homozygous patients were analyzed based on visual performance and visual development. Results: A total of 66 patients were included. The majority of patients had either light perception or no light perception. In the remaining group of 14 patients, median BCVA was 20/195 Snellen (0.99 LogMAR; range 0.12-1.90) for the right eye, and 20/148 Snellen (0.87 LogMAR; range 0.22-1.90) for the left. Homozygous patients tended to be more likely to develop light perception compared to more severely affected compound heterozygous patients (P = 0.080) and are more likely to improve from no light perception to light perception (P = 0.022) before the age of 6 years. OCT data were available in 12 patients, 11 of whom had retained foveal ONL and EZ integrity up to 48 years (median 23 years) of age. Conclusions: Homozygous patients seem less severely affected compared to their compound-heterozygous peers. Improvement of visual function may occur in the early years of life, suggesting a time window for therapeutic intervention up to the approximate age of 17 years. This period may be extended by an intact foveal ONL and EZ on OCT

Gesamtwirtschaftliche und unternehmerische Anpassungsfortschritte in Ostdeutschland: Fünfzehnter Bericht

Der Aufbauprozeß in den neuen Bundesländern kommt in letzter Zeit nur noch schleppend voran. Der Schwung, den die rasche Privatisierung der Betriebe und die massive finanzielle Unterstützung der Investitionstätigkeit ausgelöst haben, ist verlorengegangen. Die Hoffnungen auf einen selbsttragenden Aufschwung in naher Zukunft sind verflogen. Die Politik spricht inzwischen von der Notwendigkeit einer „ Umorientierung auf längere Zeithorizonte ". Welche Folgerungen daraus zu ziehen sind, darüber muß in Kürze entschieden werden. Es wird allgemein nicht mehr in Frage gestellt, daß die neuen Bundesländer weiter der Unterstützung bedürfen. Meinungsunterschiede gibt es aber über Ausgestaltung der Förderung — über ihren Umfang, ihre Instrumente und ihre Dauer. Die Bundesregierung hat sich hier im einzelnen noch nicht geäußert. Sie wird sich erst im Laufe des Jahres 1997 festlegen. --

Gesamtwirtschaftliche und unternehmerische Anpassungsfortschritte in Ostdeutschland: Fünfzehnter Bericht

Der Aufbauprozeß in den neuen Bundesländern kommt in letzter Zeit nur noch schleppend voran. Der Schwung, den die rasche Privatisierung der Betriebe und die massive finanzielle Unterstützung der Investitionstätigkeit ausgelöst haben, ist verlorengegangen. Die Hoffnungen auf einen selbsttragenden Aufschwung in naher Zukunft sind verflogen. Die Politik spricht inzwischen von der Notwendigkeit einer „ Umorientierung auf längere Zeithorizonte ". Welche Folgerungen daraus zu ziehen sind, darüber muß in Kürze entschieden werden. Es wird allgemein nicht mehr in Frage gestellt, daß die neuen Bundesländer weiter der Unterstützung bedürfen. Meinungsunterschiede gibt es aber über Ausgestaltung der Förderung — über ihren Umfang, ihre Instrumente und ihre Dauer. Die Bundesregierung hat sich hier im einzelnen noch nicht geäußert. Sie wird sich erst im Laufe des Jahres 1997 festlegen

Künstler- und Dichterrepräsentation in den Denkmälern der Wiener Ringstraßenzeit

Die Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich mit Künstler- und Dichterdenkmälern der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jh. bis ca. 1918 in Wien. Alle behandelten Denkmäler stehen in Wien direkt an der Ringstraße oder in ihrer unmittelbaren Umgebung bzw. sind mit Gebäuden und Gebieten der Ringstraße thematisch oder tatsächlich verbunden. Insgesamt werden 24 Einzeldenkmäler und mehrere Kollektivdenkmäler sowie Denkmalprogramme sowie zwei unausgeführte Denkmalprojekte vorgestellt. Der Schwerpunkt der Betrachtungen wurde vor allem auf die Erkennbarkeit der jeweiligen Profession und die Darstellung derselben Person in anderen Projekten gelegt. An den gezeigten Beispielen lassen sich die gesellschaftshistorischen Hintergründen wie auch die Veränderungen der künstlerischen Darstellungsweisen im Historismus und Jugendstil verfolgen. Ebenso kann an den Monumenten nachvollzogen werden wie im 19. Jahrhundert das Bürgertum Bedeutung erlangte, die Repräsentation des eigenen Standes und seiner Werte (hier vor allem Bildung) wichtig wurde, aber auch wie im beginnenden 20. Jahrhundert die bürgerlichen Konzepte öffentlichen Projekten der aufkommenden Großparteien weichen mussten. Meist dominierte in den Darstellungen die Repräsentation der Person selbst, was durch deutlich lesbare Namensinschriften verstärkt wurde. Seltener ging es um die Wiedergabe der Profession als Künstler und Dichter. Diese erkennt man meist nur im Zusammenhang mit den in der Umgebung befindlichen Bauwerken. So werden zum Beispiel am Künstlerhaus nur bildende Künstler, am Burgtheater nur Dichter dargestellt. Um die Jahrhundertwende kann ein deutlicher Rückgang der Monumentalität und ein Vorstoß in das Genrehafte verzeichnet werden. Die Abhandlung arbeitet älteres allgemeines Material über die Ringstraßendenkmäler auf und versucht einige bisher unbehandelte Aspekte zu beleuchten bzw. durch Vergleichsbeispiele die verfolgten Traditionen bzw. die Einzigartigkeit einiger Darstellungen aufzuzeigen. Hier ist vor allem die große Anzahl der Monumente für Landschaftmaler wie Schindler, von Schwind und von Alt zu nennen, die den genrehaften Naturalismus in Österreich für sich entdeckt haben. Die Besonderheit beider Gruppen liegt an der Masse der aufgestellten Werke, da Künstler und Dichter neben Musikern und ‚Erfindern‘ die größten Fraktionen unter den Ringstraßendenkmälern bilden.This thesis provides information about the monuments of artists and poets erected in Vienna between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the First World War in 1918. All the monuments mentioned here are parts of the Viennese Ringstraße or the area around it. Most of them have topical connections to buildings there. All in all there are 24 monuments mentioned in the thesis, completed by a few monumentprogrammes and two not accomplished projects. The main point of the considerations is set on the question if you could recognise the profession of the person represented. The mentioned examples show socio-historical events and the changes in art historical styles like Historism and Jugendstil. They show how the bourgeoisie gained power in the 19th century and tried to represent itself and its moral values as well. Later you can see that the mass-parties took over the topic of monument setting. In most of the monuments the person itself and its representation is more important than the profession. This phenomenon is intensified through the inscriptions with the names on it. Especially the recognition of poets and artists is difficult if you don’t know them by name. You can only guess the profession in connection with the buildings in the area around. So you see artists in front of museums and poets on the facade of theatres. Around the turn of the century a decrease of monumental sculptures in public is seen. More often you can see genre scenes. In comparison with other examples this thesis tries to show new aspects of traditions and singularity of some modes of representation. Especially the great number of painters represented in genre scenes shows the singularity of the Austrian naturalism. The special thing about the monuments of artists and poets is the great number of them. Next to monuments for musicians and scientists they build one of the biggest groups of monuments in this time