Die Erwartungen an die neue Bundesregierung

Die Bundestagswahlen haben zu einem Regierungswechsel und damit zu einer Änderung des wirtschaftspolitischen Paradigmas geführt. Was erwarten Arbeitgeber und Arbeitnehmer von der neuen Bundesregierung? Dr. Dieter Hundt von der Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände und Dieter Schulte vom Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbund äußern ihre Vorstellungen. --

Eine Green Card für EDV-Spezialisten? - Die Green Card löst nicht alle Probleme

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The Digital Platform Otto.de: A Case Study of Growth, Complexity, and Generativity

We analyze the growth, complexity, and generativity of the digital platform Otto.de, a revelatory case of a large German company that has opened up its internal IT platform to outside developers. We find indication for a superlinear growth pattern fueled by external developers and the introduction of microservices as well as the emergence of a structural separation within the platform. Furthermore, our research shows ways to explain the generativity of a digital platform based on the attention and activity received

Diagnosing increased muscle activity and occlusal stress in temporo mandibular joint syndrome with Periotest

Bei 38 Patienten mit funktioneller Myoarthropathie und 25 Probanden einer Kontrollgruppe mit parodontal gesundem Gebiß wurden Periotestwerte bestimmt. Die Periotestmessungen wurden sowohl ohne Okklusalkontakt als auch in maximaler Interkuspidation durchgeführt. Der Vergleich der Patienten mit Myoarthropathie und der Probanden ohne Muskelbefund ergab signifikante Unterschiede auf dem 1 %.Niveau sowohl bei Periotestwerten ohne Okklusalkontakt als auch vor allem bei den Differenzen der Periotestwerte ohne Okklusalkontakt und der Periotestwerte in maximaler Interkuspidation. Dies betraf vor allem die Prämolaren und die ersten Molaren. Bei Probanden ohne Muskelbefund ergaben sich Periotestwertdifferenzen zwischen -2,0 und -3,4 (Vertrauensbereiche). Bei Patienten mit Muskelbefund waren die Periotestwerte mit -5,4 ... -7,9 ausgeprägter negativ. Punktbiserielle Korrelationskoeffizienten ergaben einen besonders ausgeprägten Zusammenhang zwischen Periotestwertdifferenzen und der Aktivität der aduktorischen Kaumuskulatur.Periotest measurements were carried out not in occlusal contact to the antagonist tooth and under maximum habitual occlusion in 38 patients with functional temporo mandibular joint syndrome and in a control group of 25 test subjects with periodontally sound dentition. A comparison between the patients with temporo mandibular joint syndrome and test subjects without muscle findings showed significant (1) variations both for Periotest measurements not in occlusal contact and particularly for Periotest value differences of the measurement carried out under maximum habitual occlusion and the measurement not in occlusal contact. This was especially true for the premolars and the first molars. In the test subjects without muscle findings, Periotest value differences were between -2.0 and -3.4 (confidence intervals). In patients with muscle findings, the Periotest value differences of -5.4 to -7.9 were greater. Point-biserial correlation coefficients showed a particularly pronounced correlation between Periotest value differences and sensitivity to pressure in the aductory masticatory muscles

Periotest values and occlusion

Bei 43 Patienten mit marginaler Parodontitis wurden an 905 Zähnen die Perio-testwerte ohne Okklusion und in maximaler Interkuspidation ermittelt. An klini-schen Befunden wurden die quantitativ meßbaren Parameter Tiefe der Sulcus-taschen, Rezession, Papillenblutungsindex, Knochenabbau und die qualitativen Merkmale Kippung, Füllung, Schliffflächen im Okklusionsfeld und exzentrische Schliffflächen erhoben. Der Knochenabbau wurde durch Ausmessen von Mundfilmen bestimmt. Multiple lineare Regressionsrechnungen zwischen Periotestwert ohne Okklusion und Differenz der Periotestwerte in maximaler Interkuspidation und ohne Okklusion als abhängigen Variablen und den quantitativen Parametern als unabhängige Variablen ergab Koeffizienten der Determination von 61 % für den Pe-riotestwert ohne Okklusion und 40 % für die Periotestwertdifferenz. Der Einfluß des Knochenabbaus dominierte deutlich gegenüber dem Einfluß der übrigen quantitativen Parameter. Der Einfluß der traumatischen Parameter Kippung, Füllung und Schliffflächen auf die Regression zwischen Periotestwertdifferenzen und Knochenabbau wird dargestellt. Signifikant höhere Periotestwertdifferenzen bei Zahnkippungen bringen ein okklusales Trauma zum Ausdruck. Schliffflächen im Okklusionsfeld haben traumatische Bedeutung. Exzentrische Schliffflächen wirken ebenfalls traumatisierend bei parodontal progredient geschädigten Zähnen. Okklusionsstörungen können bei bestehender marginaler Parodontitis zu verstärktem Knochenabbau führen.Numerous experiments have been carried out in order to identify occlusal trauma as an etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of periodontopathies. With Periotest (http://www.periotest.de/) an instrument is available to quantify occlusal overstressing. In 905 teeth and 43 patients with periodontitis the Perio-test values were determined without occlusal contact and under maximum habitual occlusion. Clinical parameters like probing depth, recession, papillary bleeding index, bone resorption and qualitative such as tipped tooth, filling, abrasion facets in the occlusal areas and eccentric abrasion facets were evaluated. Bone resorption was determined based on intraoral radiographs. Multi-ple linear regression calculations between standard Periotest values (Periotest value without tooth contact) or Periotest value differences (the difference between Periotest values under maximum habitual occlusion and without occlusal contact) as dependent variables and the quanti-tative parameters as independent variables resulted in determination coefficients of 61 for the Periotest value without occlusal contact and 40 for the Periotest value difference. The influence of bone resorption clearly dominated over all other quantitative parameters. Occlusal parameters as tipped teeth, restorations and abrasion facets were explored in teeth without bone resorption and without pathological pockets. Significantly higher Periotest values and significantly more negative Periotest value differences in tipped teeth were interpreted as a possible source of occlusal trauma. Less negative Periotest value differences in teeth with ec-centric abrasion facets indicate reduced intercuspidation. Abrasion facets in the occlusal areas tend to cause higher stressing. Restorations had no effect on Periotest values and Periotest value differences

How Acute and Chronic Alcohol Consumption Affects Brain Networks: Insights from Multimodal Neuroimaging

Background— Multimodal imaging combining 2 or more techniques is becoming increasingly important because no single imaging approach has the capacity to elucidate all clinically relevant characteristics of a network. Methods— This review highlights recent advances in multimodal neuroimaging (i.e., combined use and interpretation of data collected through magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetoencephalography, MR perfusion, and MR spectroscopy methods) that leads to a more comprehensive understanding of how acute and chronic alcohol consumption affect neural networks underlying cognition, emotion, reward processing, and drinking behavior. Results— Several innovative investigators have started utilizing multiple imaging approaches within the same individual to better understand how alcohol influences brain systems, both during intoxication and after years of chronic heavy use. Conclusions— Their findings can help identify mechanism-based therapeutic and pharmacological treatment options, and they may increase the efficacy and cost effectiveness of such treatments by predicting those at greatest risk for relapse

Estragole: DNA adduct formation in primary rat hepatocytes and genotoxic potential in HepG2-CYP1A2 cells

Estragole is a natural constituent in herbs and spices and in products thereof such as essential oils or herbal teas. After cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation and subsequent sulfation, estragole acts as a genotoxic hepatocarcinogen forming DNA adducts in rodent liver. Because of the genotoxic mode of action and the widespread occurrence in food and phytomedicines a refined risk assessment for estragole is needed. We analyzed the time- and concentration-dependent levels of the DNA adducts N2-(isoestragole-3‘-yl)-2‘-desoxyguanosine (E3′N2dG) and N6-(isoestragole-3‘-yl)-desoxyadenosine (E3′N6dA), reported to be the major adducts formed in rat liver, in rat hepatocytes (pRH) in primary culture after incubation with estragole. DNA adduct levels were measured via UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS using stable isotope dilution analysis. Both adducts were formed in pRH and could already be quantified after an incubation time of 1 h (E3′N6dA at 10 μM, E3′N2dG at 1μM estragole). E3′N2dG, the main adduct at all incubation times and concentrations, could be detected at estragole concentrations < 0.1 μM after 24 h and < 0.5 μM after 48 h. Adduct levels were highest after 6 h and showed a downward trend at later time-points, possibly due to DNA repair and/or apoptosis. While the concentration-response characteristics of adduct formation were apparently linear over the whole concentration range, strong indication for marked hypo-linearity was obtained when the modeling was based on concentrations < 1 μM only. In the micronucleus assay no mutagenic potential of estragole was found in HepG2 cells whereas in HepG2-CYP1A2 cells 1 μM estragole led to a 3.2 fold and 300 μM to a 7.1 fold increase in micronuclei counts. Our findings suggest the existence of a ‘practical threshold’ dose for DNA adduct formation as an initiating key event of the carcinogenicity of estragole indicating that the default assumption of concentration-response-linearity is questionable, at least for the two major adducts studied here

Walking ability during daily life in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or the hip and lumbar spinal stenosis: a cross sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Degenerative musculoskeletal disorders are among the most frequent diseases occurring in adulthood, often impairing patients' functional mobility and physical activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the impact of three frequent degenerative musculoskeletal disorders -- knee osteoarthritis (knee OA), hip osteoarthritis (hip OA) and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) -- on patients' walking ability.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study included 120 participants, with 30 in each patient group and 30 healthy control individuals. A uniaxial accelerometer, the StepWatch™ Activity Monitor (Orthocare Innovations, Seattle, Washington, USA), was used to determine the volume (number of gait cycles per day) and intensity (gait cycles per minute) of walking ability. Non-parametric testing was used for all statistical analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both the volume and the intensity of walking ability were significantly lower among the patients in comparison with the healthy control individuals (p < 0.001). Patients with LSS spent 0.4 (IQR 2.8) min/day doing moderately intense walking (>50 gait cycles/min), which was significantly lower in comparison with patients with knee and hip OA at 2.5 (IQR 4.4) and 3.4 (IQR 16.1) min/day, respectively (p < 0.001). No correlations between demographic or anthropometric data and walking ability were found. No technical problems or measuring errors occurred with any of the measurements.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Patients with degenerative musculoskeletal disorders suffer limitations in their walking ability. Objective assessment of walking ability appeared to be an easy and feasible tool for measuring such limitations as it provides baseline data and objective information that are more precise than the patients' own subjective estimates. In everyday practice, objective activity assessment can provide feedback for clinicians regarding patients' performance during everyday life and the extent to which this confirms the results of clinical investigations. The method can also be used as a way of encouraging patients to develop a more active lifestyle.</p