Societal and ethical issues in human biomonitoring – a view from science studies

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Development of a satellite SAR image spectra and altimeter wave height data assimilation system for ERS-1

The applicability of ERS-1 wind and wave data for wave models was studied using the WAM third generation wave model and SEASAT altimeter, scatterometer and SAR data. A series of global wave hindcasts is made for the surface stress and surface wind fields by assimilation of scatterometer data for the full 96-day SEASAT and also for two wind field analyses for shorter periods by assimilation with the higher resolution ECMWF T63 model and by subjective analysis methods. It is found that wave models respond very sensitively to inconsistencies in wind field analyses and therefore provide a valuable data validation tool. Comparisons between SEASAT SAR image spectra and theoretical SAR spectra derived from the hindcast wave spectra by Monte Carlo simulations yield good overall agreement for 32 cases representing a wide variety of wave conditions. It is concluded that SAR wave imaging is sufficiently well understood to apply SAR image spectra with confidence for wave studies if supported by realistic wave models and theoretical computations of the strongly nonlinear mapping of the wave spectrum into the SAR image spectrum. A closed nonlinear integral expression for this spectral mapping relation is derived which avoids the inherent statistical errors of Monte Carlo computations and may prove to be more efficient numerically

Experienced involvement in social psychiatric care in Germany – pioneering work.

Abstract: There is still little experience in Germany in employing peers in social psychiatric institutions and services. Based on the European Leonardo da Vinci project „Experienced Involvement" from 2005-2007 pioneering work took long to broaden ist influence. The presented work focused on the employment situation of ExIn recovery accompaniments in Germany and used a mixed methods design for this. On one hand a complete survey with a questonaire was used. This focused on the type and scope of Experienced Involvement as well as fields of application of ExIn recovery support and asked for reasons for non-employment and potential perspectives for future engagement. To find out about the subjective perspectives qualitative research methodes were used. This started with the implementation of focus groups to bring in the perspective of prospective ExIn recovery accompaniments. Further on guideline-based interviews were conducted with ExIn recovery accompaniments and their teammates on the experience of professional action, the conditions for this and the effects on the services and themselves

Erwerbs- und Arbeitszeitmuster in Paarbeziehungen

Das IAB äußert sich in dieser Stellungnahme zu der Frage, wie die Erwerbs- und Arbeitszeit in Paarhaushalten aufgeteilt wird und welche Gründe dafür maßgeblich sein können. So unterscheiden sich die Erwerbsbeteiligung und die Arbeitszeitmuster von Frauen und Männern nach wie vor erheblich. Bei Frauen entscheidet insbesondere die familiäre Situation, ob und in welchem Umfang sie beschäftigt sind. Dagegen beeinflusst die Familiengründung das Erwerbsverhalten von Männern bisher kaum. Der hohe Anteil von Frauen, die Teilzeit arbeiten, führt zu einer ausgeprägten Arbeitszeitlücke zwischen Frauen und Männern. In Verbindung mit Untersuchungen zu Erwerbs- und Arbeitszeitmustern von Paaren zeigt sich, dass sich insbesondere bei Paaren mit Kindern die Unterschiede im zeitlichen Ausmaß der Erwerbsarbeit verfestigen und sich auch bei einer Realisierung der Arbeitszeitwünsche nur wenig bei der Verteilung der partnerschaftlichen Erwerbszeit ändern würde. Eine Förderung von partnerschaftlichen Modellen - wie durch das "Elterngeld plus" oder wie mit der Familienarbeitszeit mit gleichberechtigten Stunden-Modellen für Eltern vorgeschlagen - könnte zu einer ausgewogeneren Aufteilung der Arbeitszeiten bei Paaren beitragen. Dies gilt insbesondere dann, wenn sie mit passenden Arbeitszeitmodellen flankiert werden, die Beschäftigten Einfluss auf die Lage und Gestaltung der Arbeitszeit ermöglichen.In this statement, IAB is commenting on the question of how gainful employment and working time are divided within partner relationships and what the essential reasons for this are. The employment und working time patterns of women and men are still very different. With women, it is in particular the family situation which decides the extent to which they are employed. On the other hand, up to now, starting a family has hardly influenced the employment behaviour of men. The large proportion of women working part-time leads to a pronounced gap between the extent of the working times of women and men. From studies on the employment and working time patterns of couples, it becomes obvious that in particular for couples with children the temporal differences in the extent of gainful employment become fixed and that little in the distribution of the employment time within the partnership would change, even if the desired working times were realised. The promotion of partner relationship models such as "Elterngeld plus" (paternal benefit plus) or through working time in the family with equally entitled hourly models for parents, as suggested, could contribute to a more balanced distribution of working time for couples. This would particularly be the case if they are flanked by suitable working time models which allow employees to influence the place and form of their working time

Investigation into the pathogenesis of retinal dysplasia in the miniature schnauzer and English springer spaniel dog

Retinal dysplasia has been documented in many breeds of dogs. It has recently been hypothesized that Miniature Schnauzer dogs affected with retinal dysplasia and associated persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous have a decreased amount of Tfam and several mtDNA transcripts in the retina and RPE. Affected dogs were also hypothesized to have a decrease in leukocyte mtDNA compared to normal dogs. Additionally, using electron microscopy, these dogs were hypothesized to having decreased mitochondrial numbers and size with altered morphology in multiple tissues, including neutrophils. Due to these recent discoveries in this breed it has been proposed that retinal dysplasia could be the result of an altered energy supply to the retina and RPE. The objective of this study was to further investigate the pathogenesis of retinal dysplasia in the Miniature Schnauzer and English Springer Spaniel dog. The hypothesis of an altered Tfam gene sequence in affected Miniature Schnauzer dogs leading to a decreased amount of Tfam transcript in the retina and RPE was tested by amplifying, cloning and sequencing the coding, 5’ and 3’non-coding regions, and intron 1 of the Tfam gene from affected and normal Miniature Schnauzer dogs. Using transmission electron microscopy, affected and normal lymphocyte mitochondria were also objectively measured and quantified in this breed along with mitochondrial morphology assessment. In the English Springer Spaniel dog, the hypothesis of a decreased amount of leukocyte mtDNA in affected dogs was tested using real-time PCR. In addition, using transmission electron microscopy, affected and normal lymphocyte mitochondria were objectively measured and quantified in this breed with mitochondrial morphology assessment. Sequencing of the particular regions of the Miniature Schnauzer Tfam gene revealed no significant nucleotide changes between affected and normal dogs. Evaluation of lymphocyte mitochondrial size, number and morphology also revealed no significant differences between the two groups. In the English Springer Spaniel dog a relative decrease in leukocyte mtDNA did not exist in dogs affected with retinal dysplasia. Furthermore, evaluation of affected English Springer Spaniel dog lymphocyte mitochondria revealed no significant differences in mitochondrial number, surface area or morphology when compared to normal English Springer Spaniel dogs. To conclude, we failed to demonstrate a mutation in the areas of the Tfam gene sequenced in Miniature Schnauzers affected with retinal dysplasia and associated persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous. In contrast to previous findings of decreased leukocyte mtDNA in the affected Miniature Schnauzer dog, no evidence was found to support a relative decrease in leukocyte mtDNA in English Springer Spaniel dogs affected with retinal dysplasia. Furthermore, the hypothesis of altered mitochondrial size, number and morphology in affected dogs is not supported by this study. Further evaluation of mitochondria, mtDNA and mitochondrial gene expression within age-matched retina and RPE of Miniature Schnauzer and English Springer Spaniel dogs is necessary to determine if mitochondria and altered energy supply play a role in the pathogenesis of retinal dysplasia in these breeds

Impact of a smoking ban in hospitality venues on second hand smoke exposure : a comparison of exposure assessment methods

In May 2010, Switzerland introduced a heterogeneous smoking ban in the hospitality sector. While the law leaves room for exceptions in some cantons, it is comprehensive in others. This longitudinal study uses different measurement methods to examine airborne nicotine levels in hospitality venues and the level of personal exposure of non-smoking hospitality workers before and after implementation of the law.; Personal exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) was measured by three different methods. We compared a passive sampler called MoNIC (Monitor of NICotine) badge, to salivary cotinine and nicotine concentration as well as questionnaire data. Badges allowed the number of passively smoked cigarettes to be estimated. They were placed at the venues as well as distributed to the participants for personal measurements. To assess personal exposure at work, a time-weighted average of the workplace badge measurements was calculated.; Prior to the ban, smoke-exposed hospitality venues yielded a mean badge value of 4.48 (95%-CI: 3.7 to 5.25; n = 214) cigarette equivalents/day. At follow-up, measurements in venues that had implemented a smoking ban significantly declined to an average of 0.31 (0.17 to 0.45; n = 37) (p = 0.001). Personal badge measurements also significantly decreased from an average of 2.18 (1.31-3.05 n = 53) to 0.25 (0.13-0.36; n = 41) (p = 0.001). Spearman rank correlations between badge exposure measures and salivary measures were small to moderate (0.3 at maximum).; Nicotine levels significantly decreased in all types of hospitality venues after implementation of the smoking ban. In-depth analyses demonstrated that a time-weighted average of the workplace badge measurements represented typical personal SHS exposure at work more reliably than personal exposure measures such as salivary cotinine and nicotine

Restriction of task processing time affects cortical activity during processing of a cognitive task: an event-related slow cortical potential study

As is known from psychometrics, restriction of task processing time by the instruction to respond as quickly and accurately as possible leads to task-unspecific cognitive processing. Since this task processing mode is used in most functional neuroimaging studies of human cognition, this may evoke cortical activity that is functionally not essential for the particular task under investigation. Using topographic recordings of event-related slow cortical potentials, two experiments have been performed to investigate whether cortical activity during processing of a visuo-spatial imagery task is substantially influenced by the time provided to process the task. Furthermore, it was investigated whether this effect is additionally modulated by a subject’s task-specific ability. The instruction to respond as quickly and accurately as possible led to increased negative slow cortical potential amplitudes over parietal and frontal regions and significantly interacted with task-specific ability. While cortical activity recorded over parietal and frontal regions was different between subjects with low and high spatial ability when processing time was unrestricted, no such differences were found between ability groups when subjects were instructed to answer both quickly and accurately. These results suggest that restricting processing time has considerable effects on the amount and the pattern of brain activity during cognitive processing and should be taken into account more explicitly in the experimental design and interpretation of neuroimaging studies of cognition

Risk Assessors and Bio-Participants:: Homo Europaeus in Contemporary Nutrition and Health Research

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Konstitution des Homo Europaeus durch die Wissensgenerierung im Feld Ernährung und Gesundheit. Hierzu fokussieren wir die konkreten Arbeitsweisen, Kategorisierungen und Standardisierungen in der biomedizinischen und gesundheitswissenschaftlichen Forschung sowie deren Differenzproduktion. Wir folgen den wissenschaftlichen Verfahren, durch die das „Europäische“ als performative Kategorie in Gesundheitswissenschaft und Präventionspolitik hervorgebracht, kritisiert, hinterfragt und erneuert wird. Die demografisch-epidemiologische Erhebung des Europäischen wird dabei weniger als Realität abbildend sondern als Realität hervorbringend untersucht – insbesondere im Hinblick auf ihr Neu-Konfigurieren des Verständnisses von Bürgerschaft. Hierfür spielen technokratische Praktiken der Risikoabschätzung sowie neue Formen der Arbeit und Partizipation an der Wissensbildung eine zentrale Rolle. In den Verfahren der Wissensproduktion selbst konstituiert sich der Homo Europaeus nicht zuletzt als Datenproduzent und -konsument

Impact of Improvements in Volcanic Implementation on Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate in the GISS-E2 Model

The representation of volcanic eruptions in climate models introduces some of the largest errors when evaluating historical simulations, partly due to the crude model parameterizations. We will show preliminary results from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)-E2 model comparing traditional highly parameterized volcanic implementation (specified Aerosol Optical Depth, Effective Radius) to deploying the full aerosol microphysics module MATRIX and directly emitting SO2 allowing us the prognosically determine the chemistry and climate impact. We show a reasonable match in aerosol optical depth, effective radius, and forcing between the full aerosol implementation and reconstructions/observations of the Mt. Pinatubo 1991 eruption, with a few areas as targets for future improvement. This allows us to investigate not only the climate impact of the injection of volcanic aerosols, but also influences on regional water vapor, O3, and OH distributions. With the skill of the MATRIX volcano implementation established, we explore (1) how the height of the injection column of SO2 influence atmospheric chemistry and climate response, (2) how the initial condition of the atmosphere influences the climate and chemistry impact of the eruption with a particular focus on how ENSO and QBO and (3) how the coupled chemistry could mitigate the climate signal for much larger eruptions (i.e. the 1258 eruption, reconstructed to be approximately 10x Pinatubo). During each sensitivity experiment we assess the impact on profiles of water vapor, O3, and OH, and assess how the eruption impacts the budget of each

Evaluating Ammonium, Nitrate and Sulfate Aerosols in 3-Dimensions

The effect aerosols have on climate and air quality is a func-on of their chemical composi-on, concentra-on and spa-al distribu-on. These parameters are controlled by emissions, heterogeneous and homogeneous chemistry, where thermodynamics plays a key role, transport, which includes stratospheric- tropospheric exchange, and deposi-onal sinks. In this work we demonstrate the effect of some of these processes on the SO4NH4NO3 system using the GISS ModelE2 Global Circula-on Model (GCM)