ARRIVAL DATES OF MIGRATING BIRDS IN CENTRAL EUROPE AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY

Recently the study of plant and animal phenological observations has contributed much to understand the sensitivity of biosphere to the variability of its atmospheric environment. This study is based on time series of 3 bird phenological phases (‘first barn swallow’, ‘first cuckoo call’ and ‘all swallows have left’) from the archive of the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna, which have been collected at 65 Austrian stations from 1951 – 1999. In contrast to many European countries the arrival times of barn swallow and the cuckoo have predominantly been moving to later dates in Austria. A preliminary analysis points towards dryer conditions in the sub - saharan winter quarters as possible cause for a later departure from the African winter quarters to Europe. About a third of the year to year variability of both spring bird phases can be explained by temperature and wind conditions on the migration route and local temperature

Chancen und Grenzen der Erlebnispädagogik in der offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeit

Erlebnispädagogik ist nicht nur ein Modebegriff, es finden sich auch immer mehr Institutionen, welche diese Art der Pädagogik als fixen Bestandteil in ihrer Arbeit integriert haben. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Verein Wiener Jugendzentren, welcher langjährige Erfahrung in der Anwendung erlebnispädagogischer Methoden vorweisen kann. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die individuellen Ansichten und Zugänge der Mitarbeiter/innen sowie der Leitung zum Thema Erlebnispädagogik im Verein zu beleuchten, einen Blick darauf zu werfen, welche Ziele mit der Verwendung dieser Methoden verfolgt werden und welche Qualitätsansprüche an die durchgeführten Aktionen gestellt werden

Demonstration of immunochemical identity between the synaptic vesicle proteins synaptin and synaptophysin/p38

AbstractThe synaptic vesicle proteins synaptin and synaptophysin/p38 were shown to be immunochemically identical. Western immunoblot analysis of Triton X-100 extracts from rat brain showed that polyclonal polyspecific anti-synaptin antibodies and monoclonal antibody SY38 against synaptophysin both reacted with a band of 38 kDa. In two-dimensional immunoblots of chromaffin granule membranes from bovine adrenal medulla anti-synaptin and anti-synaptophysin antibodies also recognized the same component. Finally, in a Western immunoblotting experiment SY38 reacted with an immunoisolated synaptin antigen

Behavior profiles in children with functional urinary incontinence before and after incontinence treatment

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this work was to analyze prospectively the prevalence of behavioral disorders in children with urinary incontinence because of nonneuropathic bladder-sphincter dysfunction before and after treatment for incontinence. METHODS. A total of 202 children with nonneuropathic bladder-sphincter dysfunction were enrolled in the European Bladder Dysfunction Study, in branches for urge syndrome (branch 1) and dysfunctional voiding (branch 2); 188 filled out Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist before treatment and 111 after treatment. Child Behavior Checklist scales for total behavior problems were used along with subscales for externalizing problems and internalizing problems. RESULTS. After European Bladder Dysfunction Study treatment, the total behavior problem score dropped from 19% to 11%, the same prevalence as in the normative population; in branch 1 the score dropped from 14% to 13%, and in branch 2 it dropped from 23% to 8%. The prevalence of externalizing problems dropped too, from 12% to 8%: in branch 1 it was unchanged at 10%, and in branch 2 it dropped from 14% to 7%. The decrease in prevalence of internalizing problems after treatment, from 16% to 14%, was not significant. CONCLUSION. More behavioral problems were found in dysfunctional voiding than in urge syndrome, but none of the abnormal scores related to the outcome of European Bladder Dysfunction Study treatment for incontinence. With such treatment, both the total behavior problem score and the score for externalizing problems returned to normal, but the score for internalizing problems did not change. The drops in prevalence are statistically significant only in dysfunctional voiding

Planning for better animal health and welfare, Report from the 1st ANIPLAN project workshop, Hellevad, October 2007

’Minimising medicine use in organic dairy herds through animal health and welfare planning’, ANIPLAN, is a CORE-Organic project which was initiated in June 2007. The main aim of the project is to investigate active and well planned animal health and welfare promotion and disease prevention as a means of minimising medicine use in organic dairy herds. This aim will be met through the development of animal health and welfare planning principles for organic dairy farms under diverse conditions based on an evaluation of current experiences. This also includes application of animal health and welfare assessment across Europe. In order to bring this into practice the project also aims at developing guidelines for communication about animal health and welfare promotion in different settings, for example, as part of existing animal health advisory services or farmer groups such as the Danish Stable School system and the Dutch network programme. The project is divided into the following five work packages, four of which comprise research activities with the other focused on coordination and knowledge transfer, through meetings, workshops and publications. These proceedings represent our first results in terms of presented papers and discussions at our first project workshop in Hellevad Vandmølle as well as a review of Animal Health Planning in UK. The content of the workshop proceedings reflect the aim and starting points of all work packages, both in terms of analyses prior to the workshop, and developments during the workshop emanating from group work. Besides a general introduction to the project and the ideas of the project, Christoph Winckler provides an overview of the use of animal based parameters based on the results of the WelfareQuality project. Christopher Atkinson and Madeleine Neale presented concepts, principles and the practicalities of Animal Health Planning and Animal Health Plans based on UK experiences. Pip Nicholas from The University of Wales, Aberystwyth produced a report reviewing the current use of animal health and welfare planning. The entire document is included in these workshop proceedings. This was supplemented through presentations from all countries regarding animal health and welfare planning processes and research. These are summarised together with the concepts developed through dialogue at the workshop in the paper by Nicholas, Vaarst and Roderick. Finally, the Danish Stable School principles were presented by Mette Vaarst followed by discussion on different approaches of communication in farmer groups and at the individual level between farmers and advisors. One important outcome from this workshop is a set of preliminary principles for a good health planning process. We concluded through group discussions followed by a plenary session that a health planning process should aim at continuous development and improvement, and should incorporate health promotion and disease handling, based on a strategy where the current situation is evaluated and form basis for action, which is then reviewed in a new evaluation. It is important that any health plan is farm specific and based on farmer ownership, although an external person(s) should be involved, as well as external knowledge. The organic principles should form the framework for any action (meaning that a systems approach is needed), and the plan should be written. The good and positive aspects on each farm – things that other farmers potentially can learn from. The work and studies in dairy farms within the project will be based on these principles and comprise evaluation and review using animal based parameters as well as finding ways of communication with farmers about animal health and welfare

Cardio-metabolic impact of changing sitting, standing, and stepping in the workplace

According to cross-sectional and acute experimental evidence, reducing sitting time should improve cardio-metabolic health risk biomarkers. Furthermore, the improvements obtained may depend on whether sitting is replaced with standing or ambulatory activities. Based on data from the Stand Up Victoria multi-component workplace intervention, we examined this issue using compositional data analysis - a method that can examine and compare all activity changes simultaneously.Participants receiving the intervention (n=136 ≥0.6 full-time equivalent desk-based workers, 65% women, mean±SD age=44.6 ±9.1 years from seven worksites) were asked to improve whole-of-day activity by standing up, sitting less and moving more. Their changes in the composition of daily waking hours (activPAL-assessed sitting, standing, stepping) were quantified, then tested for associations with concurrent changes in cardio-metabolic risk (CMR) scores and 14 biomarkers concerning body composition, glucose, insulin and lipid metabolism. Analyses were by mixed models, accounting for clustering (3 months, n=105-120; 12 months, n=80-97).Sitting reduction was significantly (

Triviality of the ground-state metastate in long-range Ising spin glasses in one dimension

We consider the one-dimensional model of a spin glass with independent Gaussian-distributed random interactions, that have mean zero and variance $1/|i-j|^{2\sigma}$, between the spins at sites $i$ and $j$ for all $i\neq j$. It is known that, for $\sigma>1$, there is no phase transition at any non-zero temperature in this model. We prove rigorously that, for $\sigma>3/2$, any Newman-Stein metastate for the ground states (i.e.\ the frequencies with which distinct ground states are observed in finite size samples in the limit of infinite size, for given disorder) is trivial and unique. In other words, for given disorder and asymptotically at large sizes, the same ground state, or its global spin flip, is obtained (almost) always. The proof consists of two parts: one is a theorem (based on one by Newman and Stein for short-range two-dimensional models), valid for all $\sigma>1$, that establishes triviality under a convergence hypothesis on something similar to the energies of domain walls, and the other (based on older results for the one-dimensional model) establishes that the hypothesis is true for $\sigma>3/2$. In addition, we derive heuristic scaling arguments and rigorous exponent inequalities which tend to support the validity of the hypothesis under broader conditions. The constructions of various metastates are extended to all values $\sigma>1/2$. Triviality of the metastate in bond-diluted power-law models for $\sigma>1$ is proved directly.Comment: 18 pages. v2: subsection on bond-diluted models added, few extra references. 19 pages. v3: published version; a few changes; 20 page

ARRIVAL DATES OF MIGRATING BIRDS IN CENTRAL EUROPE AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY

Recently the study of plant and animal phenological observations has contributed much to understand the sensitivity of biosphere to the variability of its atmospheric environment. This study is based on time series of 3 bird phenological phases (‘first barn swallow’, ‘first cuckoo call’ and ‘all swallows have left’) from the archive of the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna, which have been collected at 65 Austrian stations from 1951 – 1999. In contrast to many European countries the arrival times of barn swallow and the cuckoo have predominantly been moving to later dates in Austria. A preliminary analysis points towards dryer conditions in the sub - saharan winter quarters as possible cause for a later departure from the African winter quarters to Europe. About a third of the year to year variability of both spring bird phases can be explained by temperature and wind conditions on the migration route and local temperature

The Sol-gel process for nano-technologies : new nanocomposites with interesting optical and mechanical properties

Various nanocomposite systems have been synthesized by sol-gel routes. For this reason, prefabricated nanoparticles (SiO2 sols or boehmite powder) have been dispersed after surface modification in sol-gel-derived organically modified or polymeric ligand matrices. In all cases, a significant effect on dispersibility by surface modification could be observed. After curing, the mechanical or optical properties depend strongly on the dispersion and surface modification. Using these results, composites to be used in chip coupling and as hard coatings on polycarbonate and CR 39 have been developed

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) Predicts Poor Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Undergoing Resection

Background: The systemic immune-inflammation index based on peripheral neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts has shown a prognostic impact in several malignancies. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic role of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing resection. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection at the department of surgery at the Medical University of Vienna between 1995 and 2014 were included into this study. The systemic immune-inflammation index was calculated by the formula platelet*neutrophil/lymphocyte. Optimal cutoffs were determined using Youden's index. Uni-and multivariate analyses were calculated by the Cox proportional hazard regression model for overall survival. Results Three hundred twenty-one patients were included in this study. Clinical data was achieved from a prospective patient database. In univariate survival analysis, elevated systemic immune-inflammation index was found to be significantly associated with shortened patients' overall survival (p = 0.007). In multivariate survival analysis, systemic immune-inflammation index remained an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (p = 0.004). No statistical significance could be found for platelet to lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in multivariate analysis. Furthermore, area under the curve analysis showed a higher prognostic significance for systemic immune-inflammation index, compared to platelet to lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Conclusion: A high systemic immune-inflammation index is an independent, preoperative available prognostic factor in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and is superior to platelet to lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio for predicting overall survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients