Interaktionsdesign eines Risiko-Bewertungskonzepts für KMU

Betriebsstörungen, Naturkatastrophen und andere Notfallszenarien bedrohen die Fortdauer von Unternehmen. Hierzu stellt Business Continuity Management (BCM) Maßnahmen zur Identifikation von Bedrohungen und Risiken sowie zum Aufbau der Belastbarkeit von Organisationen bereit. In der Forschung mangelt es jedoch an Ansätzen, welche BCM in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) unterstützen. In diesem Kurzbeitrag wird ein Konzept für KMU vorgestellt, welches die Identifikation und Bewertung von Risiken unterstützt, Bewältigungsmaßnahmen anbietet und unternehmensspezifische Risikoinformationen auf einem Dashboard visualisiert

Interaktionsdesign eines Risiko-Bewertungskonzepts für KMU

Betriebsstörungen, Naturkatastrophen und andere Notfallszenarien bedrohen die Fortdauer von Unternehmen. Hierzu stellt Business Continuity Management (BCM) Maßnahmen zur Identifika-tion von Bedrohungen und Risiken sowie zum Aufbau der Belastbarkeit von Organisationen bereit. In der Forschung mangelt es jedoch an Ansätzen, welche BCM in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) unterstützen. In diesem Kurzbeitrag wird ein Konzept für KMU vorgestellt, welches die Identifikation und Bewertung von Risiken unterstützt, Bewältigungsmaßnahmen anbietet und unternehmensspezifische Risikoinformationen auf einem Dashboard visualisiert

Cyclotrons Operated for Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmacy in the German Speaking D-A-CH Countries: An Update on Current Status and Trends

Background: Cyclotrons form a central infrastructure and are a resource of medical radionuclides for the development of new radiotracers as well as the production and supply of clinically established radiopharmaceuticals for patient care in nuclear medicine.Aim: To provide an updated overview of the number and characteristics of cyclotrons that are currently in use within radiopharmaceutical sciences and for the development of radiopharmaceuticals to be used for patient care in Nuclear Medicine in Germany (D), Austria (A) and Switzerland (CH).Methods: Publicly available information on the cyclotron infrastructure was (i) consolidated and updated, (ii) supplemented by selective desktop research and, last but not least, (iii) validated by members of the committee of the academic “Working Group Radiochemistry and Radiopharmacy” (AGRR), consisting of radiochemists and radiopharmacists of the D-A-CH countries and belonging to the German Society of Nuclear Medicine (DGN), as well as the Radiopharmaceuticals Committee of the DGN.Results: In total, 42 cyclotrons were identified that are currently being operated for medical radionuclide production for imaging and therapy in Nuclear Medicine clinics, 32 of them in Germany, 4 in Austria and 6 in Switzerland. Two thirds of the cyclotrons reported (67%) are operated by universities, university hospitals or research institutions close to a university hospital, less by/in cooperation with industrial partners (29%) or a non-academic clinic/ PET-center (5%). Most of the cyclotrons (88%) are running with up to 18 MeV proton beams, which is sufficient for the production of the currently most common cyclotron-based radionuclides for PET imaging.Discussion: The data presented provide an academically-updated overview of the medical cyclotrons operated for the production of radiopharmaceuticals and their use in Nuclear Medicine in the D-A-CH countries. In this context, we discuss current developments and trends with a view to the cyclotron infrastructure in these countries, with a specific focus on organizational aspects

Dysregulated mesenchymal PDGFR‐β drives kidney fibrosis

Abstract Kidney fibrosis is characterized by expansion and activation of platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐β (PDGFR‐β)‐positive mesenchymal cells. To study the consequences of PDGFR‐β activation, we developed a model of primary renal fibrosis using transgenic mice with PDGFR‐β activation specifically in renal mesenchymal cells, driving their pathological proliferation and phenotypic switch toward myofibroblasts. This resulted in progressive mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis, mesangial sclerosis, and interstitial fibrosis with progressive anemia due to loss of erythropoietin production by fibroblasts. Fibrosis induced secondary tubular epithelial injury at later stages, coinciding with microinflammation, and aggravated the progression of hypertensive and obstructive nephropathy. Inhibition of PDGFR activation reversed fibrosis more effectively in the tubulointerstitium compared to glomeruli. Gene expression signatures in mice with PDGFR‐β activation resembled those found in patients. In conclusion, PDGFR‐β activation alone is sufficient to induce progressive renal fibrosis and failure, mimicking key aspects of chronic kidney disease in humans. Our data provide direct proof that fibrosis per se can drive chronic organ damage and establish a model of primary fibrosis allowing specific studies targeting fibrosis progression and regression