Goethe – ein tüchtiger Ökonom? : Über das Wechselspiel zwischen "praktisch volkswirthschaftlicher Thätigkeit", Beschäftigung mit Wirtschaftstheorien und Dichtung

Zeit seines Lebens beschäftigte sich Goethe mit ökonomischen Theorien; in seinem dichterischen Werk entwarf er wirtschaftliche Visionen, die das späte 19. und das frühe 20. Jahrhundert übersahen. Seine positive Vision des Kapitalismus ist von einer Sittlichkeit durchdrungen, die extreme Formen des Erwerbsstrebens und der Ausbeutung hemmt. Dagegen steht Goethes Schreckensbild eines uns modern erscheinenden Kapitalismus, wie es im »Faust« beschworen wird

Versuch einer Zwischenbilanz: Die Frankfurter Universität und ihre zwei soziologischen Schulen : Einblicke in die soziologischen Traditionen auch jenseits der Kritischen Theorie

Rezension zu: Felicia Herrschaft und Klaus Lichtblau (Hrsg.) : Soziologie in Frankfurt. Eine Zwischenbilanz ; Wiesbaden 2010, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2010, ISBN: 978-3-531-16399-4, 571 Seiten, 39,95 Euro

Immunostimulation using granulocyte- and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

Sepsis is associated with failure of multiple organs, including failure of the immune system. The resulting 'sepsis-associated immunosuppression' resembles a state of immunological anergy that is characterized by repeated 'infectious hits', prolonged multiple-organ failure, and death. As a consequence, adjunctive treatment approaches using measures of immunostimulation with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) were tested in animal experiments and clinical trials. Herein, data from randomized clinical trials will be discussed in the context of a recently published meta-analysis investigating the effects of granulocyte- and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor therapy in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

High Temperature Electrolysis at EIFER, Main Achievements at Cell and Stack Level

AbstractThe European Institute for Energy Research is working on the application of the solid oxide cell technology for high temperature electrolysis with the aim to produce hydrogen and syngas. Since 2004, numerous tests of single cells and stacks with 5 to 25 cells have been conducted. Test durations were rather long, ranging from 1000 to 9000hours, with current densities between 0.4 and 1 A/cm2. A summary of the experimental results is presented with a focus on the observation of cell and stack degradation. Long term operation of cells with 45cm2 active area under a high current density of 1 A/cm2 indicates an extrapolated cell lifetime of at least 20 000h. Cell integration into short stacks shows additional constraints such as non-homogeneous cell behavior, electrical contacting resistances of the cell interconnects which are more critical under operation at high current density, and increased degradation rates.Techno-economical analysis have been realized in parallel to establish the hydrogen production cost by high temperature electrolysis as function of the electrolyser environment (availability of an external heat source, electricity source, hydrogen compression stages.). Finally, the hydrogen production costs using high temperature electrolysis are discussed and the high temperature electrolysis is positioned on the roadmap of development and deployment of the electrolysis technologies for hydrogen and syngas production

The Role of Kynurenines Produced by Indolamine-2,3-Dioxygenase 1 in Sepsis.

BACKGROUND The enzyme indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is the rate-limiting enzyme of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway and metabolizes the essential amino acid tryptophan to KYNs. The depletion of tryptophan and the generation of KYNs were shown to be involved in the global downregulation of the immune system during the later stages of sepsis, also referred to as sepsis-associated immunosuppression. SUMMARY The generation of KYNs by IDO1 leads to a depletion of effector T cells, including increased rate of apoptosis, decreased ability of T-cell proliferation and activation, and the generation of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Furthermore, KYN was shown a potent vasorelaxant during inflammation-induced hypotension. Experimental studies in murine sepsis models and in humans show promising data for using the activation of IDO1 both as a prognostic marker and potential drug target in sepsis