Der Beitrag des Konsums zu einem gelingenden Leben: eine kritische Betrachtung zur Entwicklung der Konsumfreiheit

"Entwicklungen in der Konsumgesellschaft haben die Bedingungen der Konsumfreiheit verändert. Eine Folge dieser Entwicklungen ist die Entgrenzung der Wahlfreiheit ('Hyperchoice'). Weitere Veränderungen manifestieren sich in den Eigenarten der reifen, das heißt postmodernen Konsumgesellschaft. Der Artikel untersucht die Frage, wie diese Veränderungen im Hinblick auf die Bedingungen einer gelingenden Lebensführung zu beurteilen sind. Ausgangspunkt ist die These, dass die Willensfreiheit mit der Ausweitung der Handlungsfreiheit nicht Schritt halten konnte und dass die entgrenzte Handlungsfreiheit in Verdacht steht, die Willensfreiheit zu unterminieren." (Autorenreferat)"The maturing of consumer societies has changed the framework of consumption. These changes also have an impact on the freedom of consumption. Changes have let to a release ('Entgrenzung') of commodity options in terms of hyperchoice. Furthermore, maturing processes become manifest in characteristics that form in common the fabric of today's postmodern consumer society. The article examines the issue how these changes affect the preconditions of a meaningful life. It is argued that the freedom of the will could not keep pace with the release of consumer choice, and, furthermore, that consumer hyperchoice is in suspect of undermining the freedom of consumers' will. Chances of consumption to contribute to a meaningful life are sheltered in a progressive consumer ethics of responsibility." (author's abstract

Covalently Modulated and Transiently Visible Writing: Rational Association of Two Extremes of Water Wettabilities

Anticounterfeiting measures are of ever-increasing importance in society, e.g., for securing the authenticity of and the proof of origin for medical drugs. Here, an arms race of counterfeiters and valid manufacturers is taking place, resulting in the need of hard-to-forget, yet easy-to-read out marks. Anticounterfeiting measures based on micropatterns—while being attractive for their need in not widely available printing methods while still being easily read out with fairly common basic optical equipment—are often limited by being too easy to be destroyed by wear or handling. Here, nature-inspired wettability is rationally exploited for developing an unprecedented anticounterfeiting method, where hidden information can be only identified under direct exposures to an aqueous phase or mist and disappears again on air-drying the interface. A chemically reactive and hierarchically featured dip coating, capable of spatially selective covalent modification with primary amine containing small molecules, is developed for abrasion-tolerant patterning interfaces with two extremes of water wettabilities, i.e., superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity. Arbitrary handwriting with glucamine followed by chemical modification with octadecylamine, provided “invisible” text on the synthesized interface. The glucamine-treated region selectively becomes optically transparent and superhydrophilic due to rapid infiltration of the aqueous phase on exposure to liquid water or mist. The remaining interface remains opaque and superhydrophobic due to metastable entrapment of air. The hidden text became transiently and reversibly visible by the naked eye under exposure to liquid water/mist. Furthermore, microchannel-cantilever spotting (μCS) is adopted for demonstrating well-defined chemical patterning on the microscale. These patterns are at the same time highly resistant against wear and scratching because of the bulk functionalization, retaining the wetting properties (and thus pattern readout) even on serious abrasion. Such a simple synthesis of spatially controlled, direct, and covalently modulated wettability could be useful for various applied and fundamental contexts

Chemical Conversion of Fischer-Tropsch Waxes and Plastic Waste Pyrolysis Condensate to Lubricating Oil and Potential Steam Cracker Feedstock

The global economy and its production chains must move away from petroleum-based products, to achieve this goal, alternative carbon feedstocks need to be established. One area of concern is sustainable production of synthetic lubricants. A lubricating oil can be described as a high boiling point (>340 ◦C) liquid with solidification at least below room temperature. Historically, many lubricants have been produced from petroleum waxes via solvent or catalytic dewaxing. In this study, catalytic dewaxing was applied to potential climate neutral feedstocks. One lubricant was produced via Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis and the other lubricant resulted from low temperature pyrolysis of agricultural waste plastics. The waxes were chosen because they each represented a sustainable alternative towards petroleum, i.e., FT waxes are contrivable from biomass and CO2 by means of gasification and Power-to-X technology. The pyrolysis of plastic is a promising process to complement existing recycling processes and to reduce environmental pollution. Changes in cloud point, viscosity, and yield were investigated. A bifunctional zeolite catalyst (SAPO-11) loaded with 0.3 wt% platinum was used. The plastic waste lubricants showed lower cloud points and increased temperature stability as compared with lubricants from FT waxes. There was a special focus on the composition of the naphtha, which accumulated during cracking. While the plastic waste produced higher amounts of naphtha, its composition was quite similar to those from FT waxes, with the notable exception of a higher naphthene content

Swiss GPs’ preferences for antidepressant treatment in mild depression : vignette-based quantitative analysis

Background: GPs frequently prescribe antidepressants in mild depression. The aim of this study was to examine, how often Swiss GPs recommend antidepressants in various clinical presentations of mild depression and which factors contribute to antidepressant treatment recommendations. Methods: We conducted an online survey among Swiss GPs with within-subject effect analysis. Alternating case vignettes described a typical female case of mild depression according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition criteria, with and without anxiety symptoms and sleep problems. GPs indicated for each vignette their preferred treatments (several recommendations were possible). Additionally, we assessed GP characteristics, attitudes towards depression treatments, and elements of clinical decision-making. Results: Altogether 178 GPs completed the survey. In the initial description of a case with mild depression, 11% (95%-CI: 7%-17%) of GPs recommended antidepressants. If anxiety symptoms were added to the same case, 29% (23%-36%) recommended antidepressants. If sleep problems were mentioned, 47% (40%-55%) recommended antidepressants, and if both sleep problems and anxiety symptoms were mentioned, 63% (56%-70%) recommended antidepressants. Several factors were independently associated with increased odds of recommending antidepressants, specifically more years of practical experience, an advanced training in psychosomatic and psychosocial medicine, self-dispensation, and a higher perceived effectiveness of antidepressants. By contrast, a higher perceived influence of patient characteristics and the use of clinical practice guidelines were associated with reduced odds of recommending antidepressants. Conclusions: Consistent with depression practice guidelines, Swiss GPs rarely recommended antidepressants in mild depression if no co-indications (i.e., sleep problems and anxiety symptoms) were depicted. However, presence of sleep problems and anxiety symptoms, many years of practical experience, overestimation of antidepressants’ effectiveness, self-dispensation, an advanced training in psychosomatic and psychosocial medicine, and non-use of clinical practice guidelines may independently lead to antidepressant over-prescribing

Phospholipid arrays on porous polymer coatings generated by micro-contact spotting

Nanoporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (HEMA-EDMA) is used as a 3D mesh for spotting lipid arrays. Its porous structure is an ideal matrix for lipid ink to infiltrate, resulting in higher fluorescent signal intensity as compared to similar arrays on strictly 2D substrates like glass. The embedded lipid arrays show high stability against washing steps, while still being accessible for protein and antibody binding. To characterize binding to polymer-embedded lipids we have applied Streptavidin as well as biologically important biotinylated androgen receptor binding onto 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(cap biotinyl) (Biotinyl Cap PE) and anti-DNP IgE recognition of 2,4-dinitrophenyl[1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[6-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]hexanoyl] (DNP)] antigen. This approach adds lipid arrays to the range of HEMA polymer applications and makes this solid substrate a very attractive platform for a variety of bio-applications

Evaluation of click chemistry microarrays for immunosensing of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)

The level of cancer biomarkers in cells, tissues or body fluids can be used for the prediction of the presence of cancer or can even indicate the stage of the disease. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most commonly used biomarker for early screening and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, a combination of three techniques (click chemistry, the biotin–streptavidin–biotin sandwich strategy and the use of antigen–antibody interactions) were combined to implement a sensitive fluorescent immunosensor for AFP detection. Three types of functionalized glasses (dibenzocyclooctyne- (DBCO-), thiol- and epoxy-terminated surfaces) were biotinylated by employing the respective adequate click chemistry counterparts (biotin–thiol or biotin–azide for the first class, biotin–maleimide or biotin–DBCO for the second class and biotin–amine or biotin–thiol for the third class). The anti-AFP antibody was immobilized on the surfaces via a biotin–streptavidin–biotin sandwich technique. To evaluate the sensing performance of the differently prepared surfaces, fluorescently labeled AFP was spotted onto them via microchannel cantilever spotting (µCS). Based on the fluorescence measurements, the optimal microarray design was found and its sensitivity was determined

Evaluation of a hybrid antimicrobial restriction process at a large academic medical center

We conducted a retrospective review of a hybrid antimicrobial restriction process demonstrating adherence to appropriate use criteria in 72% of provisional-only orders, in 100% of provisional orders followed by ID orders, and in 97% of ID-initiated orders. Therapy interruptions occurred in 24% of provisional orders followed by ID orders

Cross-Sectional Comparison to Siblings and Peers

Objectives. To investigate self-reported health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions compared with siblings/peers. Methods. Group 1 (6 treatment centers) consisted of 74 children/adolescents aged 8–16 years with hereditary bleeding disorders (HBD), 12 siblings, and 34 peers. Group 2 (one treatment center) consisted of 70 children/adolescents with stroke/transient ischemic attack, 14 siblings, and 72 peers. HrQoL was assessed with the “revised KINDer Lebensqualitätsfragebogen” (KINDL-R) questionnaire. Multivariate analyses within groups were done by one-way ANOVA and post hoc pairwise single comparisons by Student’s -tests. Adjusted pairwise comparisons were done by hierarchical linear regressions with individuals nested within treatment centers (group 1) and by linear regressions (group 2), respectively. Results. No differences were found in multivariate analyses of self-reported HrQoL in group 1, while in group 2 differences occurred in overall wellbeing and all subdimensions. These differences were due to differences between patients and peers. After adjusting for age, gender, number of siblings, and treatment center these differences persisted regarding self-worth () and friend-related wellbeing (). Conclusions. In children with HBD, HrQoL was comparable to siblings and peers. In children with stroke/TIA HrQoL was comparable to siblings while peers, independently of relevant confounder, showed better self-worth and friend-related wellbeing

Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Hereditary Bleeding Disorders and in Children and Adolescents with Stroke: Cross-Sectional Comparison to Siblings and Peers

Objectives. To investigate self-reported health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions compared with siblings/peers. Methods. Group 1 (6 treatment centers) consisted of 74 children/adolescents aged 8-16 years with hereditary bleeding disorders (HBD), 12 siblings, and 34 peers. Group 2 (one treatment center) consisted of 70 children/adolescents with stroke/transient ischemic attack, 14 siblings, and 72 peers. HrQoL was assessed with the "revised KINDer Lebensqualitatsfragebogen" (KINDL-R) questionnaire. Multivariate analyses within groups were done by one-way ANOVA and post hoc pairwise single comparisons by Student's t-tests. Adjusted pairwise comparisons were done by hierarchical linear regressions with individuals nested within treatment centers (group 1) and by linear regressions (group 2), respectively. Results. No differences were found in multivariate analyses of self-reported HrQoL in group 1, while in group 2 differences occurred in overall wellbeing and all subdimensions. These differences were due to differences between patients and peers. After adjusting for age, gender, number of siblings, and treatment center these differences persisted regarding self-worth (p =.0040) and friend-related wellbeing (p <.001). Conclusions. In children with HBD, HrQoL was comparable to siblings and peers. In children with stroke/TIA HrQoL was comparable to siblings while peers, independently of relevant confounder, showed better self-worth and friend-related wellbeing