Entwicklung der Erreichbarkeit der Schweizer Gemeinden: 1950 bis 2000

Kurzfassung: Die Erreichbarkeit der Schweizer Gemeinden hat sich in den letzten 50 Jahren durch den Straßennetzausbau, die Angebotsausweitung im öffentlichen Verkehr und die Bevölkerungszunahme substanziell verändert. Der Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit den ersten beiden Einflussgrößen und stellt die Resultate in ihrem räumlichen Kontext dar. Das Verhältnis der Erreichbarkeit im Straßenverkehr zur Erreichbarkeit im öffentlichen Verkehr hat sich in der betrachteten Zeitperiode von 1950 bis 2000 nur wenig veränder

Is power training or conventional resistance training better for function in elderly persons? A meta-analysis

Objective: to determine the effects of power training with high movement velocity compared with conventional resistance training with low movement velocity for older community-dwelling people. Design: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Data sources: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro and Scholar-Google. Trials: all randomised or quasi-randomised trials investigating power training with high movement velocity versus conventional resistance training with low movement velocity in elderly persons over the age of 60 years. The primary outcomes were measures of functional outcomes; secondary outcomes were balance, gait, strength, power, muscle volume and adverse effects. Results: eleven trials were identified involving 377 subjects. The pooled effect size for the follow-up values of the functional outcomes was 0.32 in favour of the power training (95% CI 0.06 to 0.57) and 0.38 (95% CI −0.51 to 1.28) for the change value. The pooled effect from three studies for self-reported function was 0.16 in favour of power training (95% CI −0.17 to 0.49). Conclusion: power training is feasible for elderly persons and has a small advantage over strength training for functional outcomes. No firm conclusion can be made for safet

Measuring physical load in soccer: strengths and limitations of 3 different methods

To investigate the strengths and limitations of different indicators to measure physical load. Furthermore, indicators were evaluated for discrimination between performance levels and playing positions. Methods: Ninety positional match files from 70 elite players and 91 match files from 69 subelite players were collected during 14 official under-18 matches using a local position measurement system. Indicators are calculated from speed, absolute acceleration (acc-abs), or percentage acceleration (acc-%). The acc-% describes the level of acceleration depending on the maximal voluntary acceleration (amax) for each initial running speed. Effect sizes (ES) were used to determine discriminative ability. Results: The number of high accelerations largely depended on the method (absolute threshold [>3 m·s−2 and >4 m·s−2] 120 and 59 efforts; high percentage threshold [>75% amax] 84 efforts). Only a small number of highly accelerated efforts reached speeds considered high-speed running (>19.8 km·h−1: 32.6%). More high acc-% exists from initial running speed >2 m·s−1 (23.0) compared with acc-abs (>3 m·s−2 14.4, >4 m·s−2 5.9). Elite players achieve higher values in most performance indicators, with ES being highest for the number of high acc-% (ES = 0.91) and high acc-abs (>3 m·s−2 ES = 0.86, >4 m·s−2 ES = 0.87), as well as for covered distance in jogging (ES = 0.94). Conclusions: Estimated physical load, discriminative ability of physical indicators, and positional requirements largely depend on the applied method. A combination of speed-based and acc-% methods is recommended to get a comprehensive view

Characterization of the non-functional Fas ligand of gld mice

Mice homozygous for either the gld or Ipr mutation develop autoimmune diseases and progressive lymphadenopathy. The Ipr mutation Is characterized by the absence of unctional Fas, whereas gld mice exhibit an inactive FasL due to a point mutation proximal to the extracellular C-terminus. The structural repercussions of this amino acid substitution remain unknown. Here we report that FasL Is expressed at similar levels on the surface of activated T lymphocytes from gld and wild-type mice. Using a polyclonal anti-FasL antibody, Indistinguishable amounts of a 40 kDa protein are detected In both gld and wild-type splenocytes. The molecular model of FasL, based on the known structure of TNF-α, predicts that the Phe→Leu gld mutation is located at the protomer interface which Is close to the FasR Interaction site. We conclude that the gld mutation allows normal FasL biosynthesis, surface expression and ollgomerlzatlon, but induces structural alterations to the Fas binding region leading to the phenotypic changes observe

Factors associated with cessation of smoking among Swiss adults between 1991 and 2011: results from the SAPALDIA cohort

Smoking is still the most preventable cause of disease and premature death in Switzerland, as elsewhere. We aimed to assess the main determinants of smoking cessation in the population-based cohort of SAPALDIA (Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults).; The SAPALDIA study was initiated in 1991 with 9651 participants aged 18 to 60 years from eight areas (S1). Follow-up assessments were conducted in 2002 (S2; 8047 participants) and 2010/11 (S3; 6088 participants). At each survey, detailed information on health and potential health-related factors was collected and lung function measured. Using logistic regression, we assessed predictors of smoking cessation between S1 and S2 and between S2 and S3.; In both periods, highest educational level (summary odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-2.06; ref. lowest level), FEV1/FVC <0.5 (OR 6.19, 95% CI 2.44-15.7, ref. FEV1/FVC ≥0.7), higher age in men (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, per year) and overweight (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.16-1.64) were significant predictors of smoking cessation. Nicotine dependence (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.98, per cigarette smoked a day) and female sex between age 45 and 60 (e.g., OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.91, at age 50) were negatively associated with smoking cessation. Moreover, smokers at S2 reporting a diagnosis of depression were less likely to quit smoking by S3 (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.93).; Prospective tobacco control policies in Switzerland should be addressed to women, younger persons and persons of lower education

The CD95 Receptor: Apoptosis Revisited

CD95 is the quintessential death receptor and, when it is bound by ligand, cells undergo apoptosis. Recent evidence suggests, however, that CD95 mediates not only apoptosis but also diverse nonapoptotic functions depending on the tissue and the conditions

Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protec-tive factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Because of the worldwide aging of populations, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias constitute a devastating experience for patients and families as well as a major social and economic burden for both healthcare systems and society. Multiple potentially modifiable cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors have been associated with this disease. Thus, modifying these risk factors and identifying protective factors represent important strategies to prevent and delay disease onset and to decrease the social burden. Based on the cognitive reserve hypothesis, evidence from epidemiological studies shows that low education and cognitive inactivity constitute major risk factors for dementia. This indicates that a cognitively active lifestyle may protect against cognitive decline or delay the onset of dementia. We describe a newly developed preventive programme, based on this evidence, to stimulate and increase cognitive activity in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. This programme, called "BrainCoach", includes the technique of "motivational interviewing" to foster behaviour change. If the planned feasibility study is successful, we propose to add BrainCoach as a module to the already existing "Health Coaching" programme, a Swiss preventive programme to address multiple risk factors in primary care

SAPALDIA: Methods and participation in the cross-sectional part of the Swiss Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults

Summary: SAPALDIA-the Swiss Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults-focuses on the long term health effects of low to moderate levels of air pollutants as typically seen in different parts of Switzerland. The aim of the SAPALDIA cross-sectional study carried out in 1991 was to determine the prevalence of bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and allergic conditions in the adult population of Switzerland and to identify and to determine the respective importance of potentially influencing factors. These could be both personal (smoking habits, allergy status, family history, occupation) and environmental (outdoor and indoor pollution, aeroallergens, climate). A further aim of the cross-sectional study consisted in the identification of individuals susceptible to present symptoms during a two year observation period and to be included in the SAPALDIA follow-up study. This technical report represents the methodological documentation for the cross-sectional study of SAPALDIA. The instruments and the methods of standardisation are presented and discussed. The medical examination consisted of a computerised interview using a standardised questionnaire, the taking of a blood sample for serological tests, allergy skin testing, the measurement of endexpiratory CO and body height, and pulmonary function testing followed by methacholine challenge testing or bronchodilatation testing. The pattern of participation and the 9651 participants of the study, representing 59.3% of the sample, are described. Based on information on non-participants gained by telephone interviews and mailed short questionnaires, possible selection biases are quantified and discusse

APRIL, a New Ligand of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Family, Stimulates Tumor Cell Growth

Members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family induce pleiotropic biological responses, including cell growth, differentiation, and even death. Here we describe a novel member of the TNF family designated APRIL (for a proliferation-inducing ligand). Although transcripts of APRIL are of low abundance in normal tissues, high levels of mRNA are detected in transformed cell lines, and in human cancers of colon, thyroid, and lymphoid tissues in vivo. The addition of recombinant APRIL to various tumor cells stimulates their proliferation. Moreover, APRIL-transfected NIH-3T3 cells show an increased rate of tumor growth in nude mice compared with the parental cell line. These findings suggest that APRIL may be implicated in the regulation of tumor cell growth