Vergleich der Bundesländer: Analyse der Erfolgsfaktoren für den Ausbau der Erneuerbaren Energien 2014 - Indikatoren und Ranking

[Einleitung. Bundesländer-Vergleichsstudie 2014] Die vorliegende Bundesländer-Vergleichsstudie 2014 baut auf den Vorgängerstudien auf. Wie in den früheren Studien werden neben energie- und umweltpolitischen Aspekten der Nutzung Erneuerbarer Energien in den Bundesländern auch technologie- und industriepolitische Aspekte der Branche einbezogen. Dabei werden jeweils sowohl politische Ziele und Anstrengungen als auch bisher beobachtbare Erfolge im Indikatorensystem erfasst. Das Ziel der aktuellen Studie besteht vor allem darin, die vergleichenden Analysen der Bundesländer im Bereich Erneuerbarer Energien zu aktualisieren, wobei eine weitgehende Vergleichbarkeit mit den Ergebnissen der Bundesländer-Vergleichsstudie 2012 angestrebt wird. Darüber hinaus werden in der aktuellen Studie explizit Aspekte der Systemintegration Erneuerbarer Energien in das Indikatorensystem einbezogen, da diese vor dem Hintergrund stark wachsender Anteile Erneuerbarer Energien im Stromsektor zunehmende Bedeutung für das Gelingen der Energiewende erlangt. Mit dem Vorhaben soll die Transparenz über den Stand und die Entwicklung Erneuerbarer Energien in der regionalen Struktur nach Bundesländern erhöht werden. Es dient zugleich der Politikberatung im Hinblick auf die Verbesserung der Rahmenbedingungen für den Ausbau Erneuerbarer Energien in den Bundesländern. Hauptadressaten sind insofern die Entscheidungsträger in den Bundesländern. Berührt werden damit zugleich aber auch politische Abstimmungsfragen auf Bundes- und Kommunalebene. Darüber hinaus richtet sich die Studie auch an die interessierte Öffentlichkeit sowie an die energiewirtschaftliche Fachwelt. Die vorliegende Studie wurde von Februar bis September 2014 in Kooperation des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin) mit dem Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) und der Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien (AEE) erstellt. Die Datenerfassung wurde im Wesentlichen Anfang Juni 2014 abgeschlossen. Zu den Informationsgrundlagen haben dankenswerterweise die zuständigen Landesministerien sowie zahlreiche Vertreter von Fachverbänden Erneuerbarer Energien und von Industrie- und Handelskammern im Rahmen von Befragungen wesentlich beigetragen. In Kapitel 2 werden zunächst konzeptionelle und methodische Aspekte der Indikatorenanalyse sowie Fragen der Datenverfügbarkeit erläutert. Kapitel 3 enthält eine vollständige Darstellung der ermittelten Einzelindikatoren im Ländervergleich. Auf dieser Basis werden in Kapitel 4 die Einzelindikatoren zu Gruppenindikatoren und zu einem Gesamtindikator für ein übergreifendes Ranking der Bundesländer im Bereich Erneuerbare Energien zusammengefasst. Eine Analyse nach Bundesländern im Hinblick auf Best Practice erfolgt in Kapitel 5. Kapitel 6 enthält eine kurze Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse. Weitere Details werden im Anhang dokumentiert

COVID-19: a catalyst for the digitization of surgical teaching at a German University Hospital

Background: The summer semester 2020, had to be restructured due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the associated contact restrictions. Here, for the frst time, the established lectures in lecture halls and small group seminars could not be conducted in presence as usual. A possible tool for the implementation of medical teaching, ofers the use of eLearning, online webinars and learning platforms. At present it is unclear how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will afect surgical teaching, how digitization will be accepted by students, and how virtual teaching can be expanded in the future. Methods: The teaching, which was previously delivered purely through face-to-face lectures, was completely converted to digital media. For this purpose, all lectures were recorded and were available to students on demand. The seminars were held as a twice a week occurring online webinar. The block internship was also conducted as a daily online webinar and concluded with an online exam at the end. At the end of the semester, a survey of the students was carried out, which was answered by n=192 students with an anonymized questionnaire. The questionnaire inquires about the previous and current experience with eLearning, as well as the possibility of a further development towards a purely digital university. Results: There were n=192 students in the study population. For 88%, the conversion of classes to web-based lectures represented their frst eLearning experience. For 77% of all students, the digitization of teaching led to a change in the way they prepare for class. 73% of the participating students are of the opinion that eLearning lectures should continue to be ofered. 54% of the students felt that eLearning lectures made more sense than face-to-face lectures. A purely virtual university could be imagined by 41% of the students. Conclusion: The conversion of teaching represented the frst contact with eLearning for most students. Overall, the eLearning ofering was experienced as positive. Due to the new teaching structure, the way of learning had already changed during the semester. Based on the new eLearning content, the already existing formats can be further expanded in the future. Nevertheless, it turned out that the practical-surgical contents and skills cannot be adequately represented by purely online ofers; for this, the development of hybrid practice-oriented teaching concepts is necessary

Refining the Moose Serum Progesterone Threshold to Diagnose Pregnancy

Pregnancy determination is necessary for sound wildlife management and understanding population dynamics. Pregnancy rates are sensitive to environmental and physiological factors and may indicate the overall trajectory of a population. Pregnancy can be assessed through direct methods (rectal palpation, sonography) or indicated using hormonal assays (serum progesterone or pregnancy-specific protein B, fecal progestogen metabolites). A commonly used threshold of 2 ng/ml of progesterone in serum has been used by moose biologists to indicate pregnancy but has not been rigorously investigated. To refine this threshold, we examined the relationship between progesterone concentrations in serum samples and pregnancy in 87 moose (Alces alces; 64 female, 23 male) captured from 2010 to 2020 in the Grand Portage Indian Reservation in northeastern Minnesota, USA. Pregnancy was confirmed via rectal palpation (n = 25), necropsy (n = 2), calf observation (n = 25) or characteristic pre-calving behavior (n = 6), with a total of 58 females determined pregnant and 6 not pregnant; 23 males were included to increase the non-pregnant sample size. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, we identified an optimal threshold of 1.115 ng/ml with a specificity of 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90–1.00) and a sensitivity of 0.98 (95% CI = 0.95–1.00). Progesterone concentrations were significantly higher in cases of pregnant versus non-pregnant cows, but we did not detect a difference between single and twin births. We applied our newly refined threshold to calculate annual pregnancy rates for all female moose (n = 133) captured in Grand Portage from 2010 to 2021. Mean pregnancy rate during this period was 91% and ranged annually from 69.2 to 100%. Developing a reliable method for determining pregnancy status via serum progesterone analyses will allow wildlife managers to assess pregnancy rates of moose without devoting substantial time and resources to palpation and calf monitoring

Use of the ML-Flow test as a tool in classifying and treating leprosy

FUNDAMENTOS: O tratamento da hanseníase é definido pela classificação de pacientes em paucibacilares (PB) e multibacilares (MB). A OMS (Organização Mundial de Saúde) classifica os doentes de acordo com o número de lesões, mas Ridley-Jopling (R&J) utiliza também exames complementares, porém é de difícil utilização fora dos serviços de referência. Em 2003 foi desenvolvido um teste denominado ML-Flow, uma alternativa à sorologia por ELISA para auxiliar na classificação de pacientes em PB e MB e auxiliar na decisão terapêutica. OBJETIVOS: Observar a concordância entre o teste de ML-Flow e baciloscopia de linfa, exame já consagrado para detecção de MB. Analisar a utilidade do teste de ML-Flow em campo. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo avaliando prontuário de 55 pacientes virgens de tratamento, diagnosticados como PB ou MB por R&J. Submetidos à baciloscopia e ao teste de ML-Flow. RESULTADOS: Nos MB, a baciloscopia foi positiva em 80% dos casos, o ML-flow foi positivo em 82,5%. Entre os PB, o ML-Flow foi positivo em 37,5% e a baciloscopia do esfregaço foi negativa em 100% dos casos. A concordância entre os resultados da baciloscopia do esfregaço e ML-Flow foi de 87,5%, kappa=0,59, p<0,001. CONCLUSÃO: Nenhum teste laboratorial é 100% sensível e específico para a correta classificação de todas as formas de hanseníase. O ML-Flow é um teste rápido, de fácil manuseio em campo, menos invasivo que a baciloscopia podendo ser útil para auxiliar na decisão terapêutica em locais de difícil acesso a serviços de referência.BACKGROUND: The treatment of leprosy is defined by the classification of patients as paucibacillary (PB) or multibacillary (MB). The WHO (World Health Organization) classifies patients according to the number of lesions, but Ridley-Jopling (R & J) also uses complementary exams, which are difficult to use outside reference services. In 2003, a test called ML-Flow, an alternative to Elisa serology, was developed to help classify patients as PB or MB and decide about their treatment. OBJECTIVES: To assess the agreement between the ML-Flow test and slit skin smears, already largely used for MB detection, and to observe the efficacy of the ML-Flow test in the field. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study evaluating the medical records of 55 patients who had not undergone previous treatment, diagnosed as PB or MB according to R & J and subjected to slit skin smears and the ML- Flow test. RESULTS: In MB patients, slit skin smears were positive in 80% of the cases, the ML-flow was positive in 82.5%. Among PB patients, the ML-Flow was positive in 37.5% and slit skin smears were negative in 100% of the cases. The agreement between skin smear and ML-Flow results was 87.5%, with a kappa value of 0.59, p <0.001. CONCLUSION: No laboratory test is 100% sensitive and specific for the correct classification of all forms of leprosy. The ML-Flow test is faster, easier to use, and less invasive than slit skin smears and therefore may be useful when making therapeutic decisions in areas of difficult access to reference services

Visualization of interindividual differences in spinal dynamics in the presence of intraindividual variabilities

Surface topography systems enable the capture of spinal dynamic movement. A visualization of possible unique movement patterns appears to be difficult due to large intraclass and small inter-class variabilities. Therefore, we investigated a visualization approach using Siamese neural networks (SNN) and checked, if the identification of individuals is possible based on dynamic spinal data. The presented visualization approach seems promising in visualizing subjects in the presence of intraindividual variability between different gait cycles as well as day-to-day variability. Overall, the results indicate a possible existence of a personal spinal ‘fingerprint’. The work forms the basis for an objective comparison of subjects and the transfer of the method to clinical use cases

A ORIGEM DO OXIGÊNIO NA TERRA

A origem do oxigênio é um dos aspectos mais fascinantes da história da Terra, existem diversas teorias que explicam este fenômeno. O evento mais importante da vida ocorrido há bilhões de anos transformou-se no que se conhece como a grande oxidação, podendo surgir a partir de duas hipóteses: hipótese heterotrófica e hipótese autotrófica. A hipótese heterotrófica defende que os primeiros seres vivos a surgir seriam os seres heterotróficos, os mesmos captavam a glicose no oceano primitivo e transformavam em energia para a sua multiplicação. Com o passar do tempo estes seres começaram a competir pela glicose presente, dando origem aos processos de fermentação, quimiossíntese, fotossíntese anaeróbica e finalmente a fotossíntese aeróbica. Já a hipótese autotrófica alega que os primeiros seres seriam os autotróficos, pois a Terra primitiva não teria glicose o suficiente para sustentar a multiplicação dos primeiros seres até o surgimento da fotossíntese, sendo assim, 1% dos seres deveriam ser quimiolitoautotróficos, produzindo suas próprias substâncias a partir da oxidação de componentes da crosta terrestre. A ideia tem se consolidado através da descoberta de microrganismos denominados arqueas (arqueobactérias). Sendo assim, o oxigênio surgiu a partir dos seres fotossintetizantes aeróbios, que possuem a clorofila e transformam o CO2 em glicose. No primeiro momento, o oxigênio foi altamente tóxico para a maioria dos seres vivos. Acredita-se que a primeira grande extinção em massa da vida ocorreu devido ao surgimento do oxigênio, acabando com quase toda a vida na Terra, dando origem a um evento chamado “O Holocausto do Oxigênio”, um tipo de organismo sobrevivente (cianobactérias) que a vida na Terra passou a evoluir e se adaptar com a existência do oxigênio. Desse modo, pretende-se com este trabalho comprovar uma das hipóteses utilizando um método experimental em laboratório. Tal experimento consiste em simular uma condição de ambiente anaeróbico e inserir um organismo anaeróbico que sobrevive na decomposição da matéria orgânica e na liberação de oxigênio. Posteriormente, será feita a análise da presença de oxigênio. Espera-se obter resultados que comprovem uma das teorias apresentadas

Recent Assembly of an Imprinted Domain from Non-Imprinted Components

Genomic imprinting, representing parent-specific expression of alleles at a locus, raises many questions about how—and especially why—epigenetic silencing of mammalian genes evolved. We present the first in-depth study of how a human imprinted domain evolved, analyzing a domain containing several imprinted genes that are involved in human disease. Using comparisons of orthologous genes in humans, marsupials, and the platypus, we discovered that the Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome region on human Chromosome 15q was assembled only recently (105–180 million years ago). This imprinted domain arose after a region bearing UBE3A (Angelman syndrome) fused with an unlinked region bearing SNRPN (Prader-Willi syndrome), which had duplicated from the non-imprinted SNRPB/B′. This region independently acquired several retroposed gene copies and arrays of small nucleolar RNAs from different parts of the genome. In their original configurations, SNRPN and UBE3A are expressed from both alleles, implying that acquisition of imprinting occurred after their rearrangement and required the evolution of a control locus. Thus, the evolution of imprinting in viviparous mammals is ongoing

Impact on birth weight of maternal smoking throughout pregnancy mediated by DNA methylation

Background: Cigarette smoking has severe adverse health consequences in adults and in the offspring of mothers who smoke during pregnancy. One of the most widely reported effects of smoking during pregnancy is reduced birth weight which is in turn associated with chronic disease in adulthood. Epigenome-wide association studies have revealed that smokers show a characteristic “smoking methylation pattern”, and recent authors have proposed that DNA methylation mediates the impact of maternal smoking on birth weight. The aims of the present study were to replicate previous reports that methylation mediates the effect of maternal smoking on birth weight, and for the first time to investigate whether the observed mediation effects are sex-specific in order to account for known sex-specific differences in methylation levels. Methods: Methylation levels in the cord blood of 313 newborns were determined using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K Beadchip. A total of 5,527 CpG sites selected on the basis of evidence from the literature were tested. To determine whether the observed association between maternal smoking and birth weight was attributable to methylation, mediation analyses were performed for significant CpG sites. Separate analyses were then performed in males and females. Results: Following quality control, 282 newborns eventually remained in the analysis. A total of 25 mothers had smoked consistently throughout the pregnancy. The birthweigt of newborns whose mothers had smoked throughout pregnancy was reduced by &gt;200g. After correction for multiple testing, 30 CpGs showed differential methylation in the maternal smoking subgroup including top “smoking methylation pattern” genes AHRR, MYO1G, GFI1, CYP1A1, and CNTNAP2. The effect of maternal smoking on birth weight was partly mediated by the methylation of cg25325512 (PIM1); cg25949550 (CNTNAP2); and cg08699196 (ITGB7). Sex-specific analyses revealed a mediating effect for cg25949550 (CNTNAP2) in male newborns. Conclusion: The present data replicate previous findings that methylation can mediate the effect of maternal smoking on birth weight. The analysis of sex-dependent mediation effects suggests that the sex of the newborn may have an influence. Larger studies are warranted to investigate the role of both the identified differentially methylated loci and the sex of the newborn in mediating the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and birth weight