Die EG-Umwelt-Audit-Verordnung - Anreiz zu Innovationen oder zu potemkinschen Dialogen?

Since 13 July 1993 the EC eco-audit regulation has regulated voluntary participation of enterprises in eco-auditing. As. yet it is a vague plan for environmental management systems and eco-auditing of enterprises, which in practice, when it comes to implementing it, may be interpreted in many different ways. The European Council's aim of promoting a steady improvement of environmental standards in enterprises with the help of this regulation can only be achieved in part. It is to be feared that instead of the desired problem-oriented analysis of weaknesses, an objective-oriented approach to secure a document certifying participation will prevail on the part of the enterprises. The inadequate description of the nature of the auditing may result in a watering down of the requirements. Such a development in terms of the implementation could tarnish the public image of this tool designed for environmental protection and lead people to consider it a swiz. To prevent this from happening the further elaboration of the regulation should continue to be a dynamic Iearning process, taking into account future practical experience. Moreover, eco-audits must not be regarded as substitutes for necessary tools of a market economy in the sphere of environmental policy. --

Die EG-Umwelt-Audit-Verordnung - Anreiz zu Innovationen oder zu potemkinschen Dialogen?

Since 13 July 1993 the EC eco-audit regulation has regulated voluntary participation of enterprises in eco-auditing. As. yet it is a vague plan for environmental management systems and eco-auditing of enterprises, which in practice, when it comes to implementing it, may be interpreted in many different ways. The European Council's aim of promoting a steady improvement of environmental standards in enterprises with the help of this regulation can only be achieved in part. It is to be feared that instead of the desired problem-oriented analysis of weaknesses, an objective-oriented approach to secure a document certifying participation will prevail on the part of the enterprises. The inadequate description of the nature of the auditing may result in a watering down of the requirements. Such a development in terms of the implementation could tarnish the public image of this tool designed for environmental protection and lead people to consider it a swiz. To prevent this from happening the further elaboration of the regulation should continue to be a dynamic Iearning process, taking into account future practical experience. Moreover, eco-audits must not be regarded as substitutes for necessary tools of a market economy in the sphere of environmental policy

Formation of Aliphatic and Aromatic α-Hydroxy Ketones by Zygosaccharomyces bisporus

The wild-type yeast strain Zygosaccharomyces bisporus CBS 702 produced a-hydroxy-ketones (acyloins) from amino acid precursors after transamination to the corresponding 2-oxo acids. The key enzyme of the subsequent decarboxylation and C-C bond forming reaction, pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), was examined for its substrate- and stereo-specific-ity. A wide variety of saturated and unsaturated aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes was successfully converted to acyloins. 19 of the biotransformation products identified had not been reported as natural substances before. Product yields were strongly affected by substrate structure. © 2000, Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung. All rights reserved

Purification, characterisation and cDNA sequencing of pyruvate decarboxylase from Zygosaccharomyces bisporus

Cells of the wild-type yeast strain Zygosaccharomyces bisporus CBS 702 form alpha-hydroxy ketones from aromatic amino acid precursors during fermentation, Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC, E.C. 4.1.1.1), the key enzyme of this biotransformation catalysing the nonoxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and other 2-oxo-acids, was purified and characterised. The active enzyme is homotetrameric (alpha(4)) with a molecular mass of about 244 kDa, Activation of PDC by its substrate pyruvate results in a sigmoidal dependence of the reaction rate from substrate concentration (apparent K-m value 1.73 mM; Hill coefficient 2.10). A cDNA library was screened using a PCR-based procedure, and a 1856 bp cDNA of PDC was identified and sequenced. The cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 563 amino acid residues (monomeric unit), Sequence alignments demonstrate high homologies (> 80%) to PDC genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis and Kluyveromyces marxianus.DF

Die Berufswahlvorbereitung durch Berufsberatung und Schule : Bestandsaufnahme und Ansätze zur Weiterentwicklung. Teil 1

"Nach Inkrafttreten des Arbeitsförderungsgesetzes von 1969 und nach Verabschiedung der Rahmenvereinbarung über die Zusammenarbeit von Schule und Berufsberatung von 1971 haben die Berufberatung der Bundesanstalt für Arbeit sowie die Kultusverwaltungen der Länder eine Fülle von Maßnahmen und Modellen entwickelt, erprobt und implementiert, um die Berufswahlvorbereitung der Jugendlichen zu verbessern. Im Mittelpunkt des Beitrags steht daher zunächst eine Bestandsaufnahme dieser Maßnahmen und Modelle sowie ein Überblick über ihre in Evaluationsstudien ermittelten relativen Erfolge oder Mißerfolge. Behandelt werden im einzelnen die Maßnahmen der Berufsorientierung, der beruflichen Beratung, der in Kooperation zwischen Schulen und Berufsberatung durchgeführte Berufswahlunterricht und vergleichbare Modelle sowie das Betriebspraktikum. Der hier veröffentlichte erste Teil der Untersuchung umfaßt die Gliederungspunkte Problemstellung, theoretische Überlegungen und die Maßnahmen der Berufsberatung zur Berufswahlvorbereitung. Der zweite Teil in Heft 3/1985 wird die Maßnahmen der Schule zur Berufswahlvorbereitung sowie die aus der Sicht der Autoren sich ergebenden Konsequenzen zur Weiterentwicklung der Berufswahlvorbereitung behandeln." (Autorenreferat)Berufswahlvorbereitung, Berufsberatung, Schule, Berufsorientierung, Berufswahlunterricht

Влияние электронно-пучковой обработки на фазовый состав поверхностных слоев системы "покрытие из тантала-основа из никелида титана"

The evolution of the structural phase states in the Tantalum coatings formed on the NiTi substrate and their change after low energy high-current pulsed electron beam (LEHCPEB) treatment has been investigated by using X-ray diffraction technique. It was found that after LEHCPEB at E=15 J/cm{2} of coated samples alfa-Ta phase of the coating remains. In addition to the B2 phase of the substrate the[beta]-Ta[2]O[5] phase andmartensitephase B19' were detected in the surface layer. The appearance of martensite probably occurred due to the partial dissolution of Ta in TiNi

Riociguat for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Riociguat, a member of a new class of compounds (soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators), has been shown in previous clinical studies to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: In this phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we randomly assigned 261 patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or persistent or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary endarterectomy to receive placebo or riociguat. The primary end point was the change from baseline to the end of week 16 in the distance walked in 6 minutes. Secondary end points included changes from baseline in pulmonary vascular resistance, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level, World Health Organization (WHO) functional class, time to clinical worsening, Borg dyspnea score, quality-of-life variables, and safety. RESULTS: By week 16, the 6-minute walk distance had increased by a mean of 39 m in the riociguat group, as compared with a mean decrease of 6 m in the placebo group (least-squares mean difference, 46 m; 95% confidence interval [CI], 25 to 67; P<0.001). Pulmonary vascular resistance decreased by 226 dyn · sec · cm-5in the riociguat group and increased by 23 dyn · sec · cm-5in the placebo group (least-squares mean difference, -246 dyn · sec · cm-5; 95% CI, -303 to -190; P<0.001). Riociguat was also associated with significant improvements in the NT-proBNP level (P<0.001) and WHO functional class (P = 0.003). The most common serious adverse events were right ventricular failure (in 3% of patients in each group) and syncope (in 2% of the riociguat group and in 3% of the placebo group). CONCLUSIONS: Riociguat significantly improved exercise capacity and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. (Funded by Bayer HealthCare; CHEST-1 and CHEST-2 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00855465 and NCT00910429, respectively.) Copyright © 2013 Massachusetts Medical Society

Exploring efficacy and safety of oral Pirfenidone for progressive, non-IPF lung fibrosis (RELIEF) - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multi-center, phase II trial

Background: Pirfenidone is currently approved in the EU for the treatment of mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and offers a beneficial risk-benefit profile. However, there are several other, progressive fibrotic lung diseases, in which conventional anti-inflammatory therapy is not sufficiently effective and antifibrotic therapies may offer a novel treatment option. Methods/Design: We designed a study protocol for inclusion of patients with progressive fibrotic lung disease despite conventional anti-inflammatory therapy (EudraCT 2014–000861-32). The study population comprises patients with collagen-vascular disease-associated lung fibrosis (CVD-LF), fibrotic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (fNSIP), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP), and asbestos-related lung fibrosis (ALF). Disease progression needs to be proven by slope calculation of at least three Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) values obtained within 6–24 months prior to inclusion, documenting an annualized decline in percent predicted FVC of 5% (absolute) or more despite appropriate conventional therapy. Absolute change in percent predicted FVC from baseline - analyzed using a rank analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model - will serve as efficacy-related primary study endpoint. Discussion: There is an urgent unmet clinical need for effective therapies for patients with a progressive fibrotic lung disease other than IPF. The current study protocol is unique with respect to selecting patients with different disease entities of lung fibrosis which have, however, essential pathophysiological characteristics in common. Moreover, by selecting patients with evidence of disease progression despite conventional therapy, the protocol ensures that a cohort of interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients with a high unmet medical need is targeted and it may allow a sufficiently high event rate for evaluation of treatment responses. Trial registration: DRKS00009822 (registration date: January 13th 2016)

Object preference by walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, is mediated by vision and graviperception

Walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, use visual information to orient towards salient objects in their environment, presumably as a search strategy for finding food, shelter or other resources. Less is known, however, about the role of vision or other sensory modalities such as mechanoreception in the evaluation of objects once they have been reached. To study the role of vision and mechanoreception in exploration behavior, we developed a large arena in which we could track individual fruit flies as they walked through either simple or more topologically complex landscapes. When exploring a simple, flat environment lacking three-dimensional objects, flies used visual cues from the distant background to stabilize their walking trajectories. When exploring an arena containing an array of cones, differing in geometry, flies actively oriented towards, climbed onto, and explored the objects, spending most of their time on the tallest, steepest object. A fly’s behavioral response to the geometry of an object depended upon the intrinsic properties of each object and not a relative assessment to other nearby objects. Furthermore, the preference was not due to a greater attraction towards tall, steep objects, but rather a change in locomotor behavior once a fly reached and explored the surface. Specifically, flies are much more likely to stop walking for long periods when they are perched on tall, steep objects. Both the vision system and the antennal chordotonal organs (Johnston’s organs) provide sufficient information about the geometry of an object to elicit the observed change in locomotor behavior. Only when both these sensory systems were impaired did flies not show the behavioral preference for the tall, steep objects