Onset of giant planet migration before 4480 million years ago

Immediately after their formation, the terrestrial planets experienced intense impact bombardment by comets, leftover planetesimals from primary accretion, and asteroids. This temporal interval in solar system evolution, termed late accretion, thermally and chemically modified solid planetary surfaces and may have impeded the emergence of life on the Hadean Earth. The sources and tempo of late accretion are, however, vague. Here, we present a timeline that relates variably retentive radiometric ages from asteroidal meteorites, to new dynamical models of late accretion that invokes giant planet migration. Reconciliation of the geochronological data with dynamical models shows that giant planet migration immediately leads to an intense 30 Myr influx of comets to the entire solar system. The absence of whole-sale crustal reset ages after 4450 Ma for the most resilient chronometers from Earth, Moon, Mars, Vesta and various meteorite parent bodies confines the onset of giant planet migration to no later than ca. 4480 Ma. Waning impacts from planetesimals, asteroids (and a minor cometary component) continue to strike the inner planets through a protracted monotonic decline in impactor flux; this is in agreement with predictions from crater chronology. Amended global 3-D thermal analytical bombardment models derived from our new impact mass-production functions show that persistent niches for prebiotic chemistry on the early Hadean Earth could endure late accretion for at least the last 4400 Myr.Comment: Main text: 46564 characters with spaces/7549 words Tables: 3 Figures:7 References: 11

Report No. 24: Analysis of the Social Agendas

Study conducted for the European Parliament, Bonn 2010 (135 pages)

The Influence of Business Ethics, Organizational Governance, and Corporate Social Responsibility on the Financial Performance of Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

Sustainability issue nowadays requires companies in Indonesia to act strategically and not only focus on financial performance, but also social and environmental aspects. Corporate social responsibility is seen as an obligate and one way to comply with the business ethics value as generally required by society. However, the differences in the company’s stakeholders’ needs could cause variation of corporate governance system, which sometimes does not follow the ethics value. This research aims to look over the effect of ethics (generally) to corporate governance practices and implementation of corporate social responsibility in Indonesia, also towards the company’s financial performance. The sample of this research is the companies listed in the IDX80 index of Bursa Efek Indonesia. The data collection technique used is the purposive sampling method and data collected will be analyzed using linear regression method. This research proved that ethics affecting the corporate governance system and corporate social responsibility practices, but there’s no prove that corporate governance system and corporate social responsibility affect the corporate financial performance

Earth-like Habitats in Planetary Systems

Understanding the concept of habitability is related to an evolutionary knowledge of the particular planet-in-question. Additional indications so-called "systemic aspects" of the planetary system as a whole governs a particular planet's claim on habitability. Here we focus on such systemic aspects and discuss their relevance to the formation of an 'Earth-like' habitable planet. We summarize our results obtained by lunar sample work and numerical models within the framework of the Research Alliance "Planetary Evolution and Life". We consider various scenarios which simulate the dynamical evolution of the Solar System and discuss the likelihood of forming an Earth-like world orbiting another star. Our model approach is constrained by observations of the modern Solar System and the knowledge of its history. Results suggest that the long-term presence of terrestrial planets is jeopardized due to gravitational interactions if giant planets are present. But habitability of inner rocky planets may be supported in those planetary systems hosting giant planets. Gravitational interactions within a complex multiple-body structure including giant planets may supply terrestrial planets with materials which formed in the colder region of the proto-planetary disk. During these processes, water, the prime requisite for habitability, is delivered to the inner system. This may occur either during the main accretion phase of terrestrial planets or via impacts during a post-accretion bombardment. Results for both processes are summarized and discussed with reference to the lunar crater record. Starting from a scenario involving migration of the giant planets this contribution discusses the delivery of water to Earth, the modification of atmospheres by impacts in a planetary system context and the likelihood of the existence of extrasolar Earth-like habitable worlds.Comment: 36 Pages, 6 figures, 2014, Special Issue in Planetary and Space Science on the Helmholtz Research Alliance on Planetary Evolution and Lif

Analysis of carbon substrates used by Listeria monocytogenes during growth in J774A.1 macrophages suggests a bipartite intracellular metabolism

Intracellular bacterial pathogens (IBPs) are dependent on various nutrients provided by the host cells. Different strategies may therefore be necessary to adapt the intracellular metabolism of IBPs to the host cells. The specific carbon sources, the catabolic pathways participating in their degradation, and the biosynthetic performances of IBPs are still poorly understood. In this report, we have exploited the technique of C-13-isotopologue profiling to further study the carbon metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes by using the EGDe wild-type strain and mutants (defective in the uptake and/or catabolism of various carbon compounds) replicating in J774A.1 macrophages. For this goal, the infected macrophages were cultivated in the presence of [1, 2-C-13(2)]glucose, [U-C-13(3)]glycerol, [U-C-13(3)]pyruvate, [U-C-13(3)]lactate, or a mix of [U-C-13]amino acids. GC/MS-based isotopologue profiling showed efficient utilization of amino acids, glucose 6-phosphate, glycerol, and (at a low extent) also of lactate but not of pyruvate by the IBPs. Most amino acids imported from the host cells were directly used for bacterial protein biosynthesis and hardly catabolized. However, Asp was de novo synthesized by the IBPs and not imported from the host cell. As expected, glycerol was catabolized via the ATP-generating lower part of the glycolytic pathway, but apparently not used for gluconeogenesis. The intermediates generated from glucose 6-phosphate in the upper part of the glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate shunt likely serve primarily for anabolic purposes (probably for the biosynthesis of cell wall components and nucleotides). This bipartite bacterial metabolism which involves at least two major carbon substrates-glycerol mainly for energy supply and glucose 6-phosphate mainly for indispensible anabolic performances-may put less nutritional stress on the infected host cells, thereby extending the lifespan of the host cells to the benefit of the IBPs

Test-Retest Reliability and Minimum Detectable Change for Various Frontal Plane Projection Angles during Dynamic Tasks

Objective: Establish between-day test-retest reliability metrics for 2-dimensional frontal plane projection angles (FPPAs) during the lateral step-down (LSD), single-limb squat (SLS), single-limb landing (SLL), and drop vertical jump (DVJ). Design: Test-retest reliability study Setting: University laboratory Participants: 20 healthy adults (12 female, age = 23.60±1.93 years old, body mass index = 24.26±2.54 kg/m2) were tested on 2 separate occasions 7-14 days apart. Main Outcome Measures: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard errors of the measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) values across the LSD, SLS, SLL, and DVJ for the following body region variables: trunk, trunk on pelvis, pelvis, hip, thigh to vertical, knee, and shank to vertical. Results: There was moderate-to-substantial between-day test-retest reliability for nearly all body regions across all tasks (ICC = 0.65-0.96). SEM values varied across body regions and tasks (0.9-3.5 degrees). MDCs were variable (2.3-9.8 degrees). Of the body regions, MDCs were largest for the knee and hip. By task, MDCs were lowest for the LSD. Conclusions: This study identified between-day test-retest reliability metrics for 2-dimensional FPPAs across a variety of body regions during commonly assessed clinical tasks. These data allow clinicians and researchers to more confidently assess true change between assessments or over time

Fluoroscopic radiation exposure of the kyphoplasty patient

Kyphoplasty (KP) is a minimally invasive technique for the percutaneous stabilisation of vertebral fractures. As such, this technique is highly dependent upon intraoperative fluoroscopic visualisation. In order to assess the range of radiation doses that patients are typically subjected to, 60 consecutive procedures using simultaneous bilateral fluoroscopy were analysed with respect to exposure time (ET). In a subset of 16 of these patients, a theoretical entrance skin dose (ESD) and effective dose was additionally calculated from intraoperatively measured dose area product. Average fluoroscopy time for single level cases reached 2.2min (range 0.6-4.3) in the lateral plane and 1.6min (range 0.5-3.0) in the anterior-posterior plane. For multiple level cases the corresponding ET per level was 1.7min (range 0.6-2.9) per level in the lateral and 1.1min (range 0.5-2.0) in the anterior-posterior plane. ESD was estimated as an average 0.32Gy (range 0.05-0.86) in the anterior-posterior and 0.68Gy (range 0.10-1.43) in the lateral plane. Effective dose (cumulative from both planes) averaged 4.28mSv (range 0.47-10.14). Safety margins for the development of early transient erythema are respected within the presented fluoroscopy times. Longer ET in the lateral plane may however breach the 2Gy threshold. Use of large c-arms and judiciously operating the exposure is recommended. With regard to effective dose, a single fluoroscopy guided KP performed for osteoporotic or traumatic vertebral fractures is a safe procedur

Arbeitskräfteprobleme und Humanisierungspotentiale in Kleinbetrieben

"Mit dem vorgelegten Ergebnisbericht und den ergänzenden, getrennt erscheinenden branchenbezogenen Materialteilen wird zweierlei angestrebt: Zum einen soll die im Zuge des Projekts geleistete, eher konzeptuelle Arbeit zur Strukturierung des sehr vielschichtigen Forschungsfelds 'Arbeitsbedingungen in Kleinbetrieben' dokumentiert werden, zum anderen werden Ergebnisse der im Rahmen der explorativen Studie durchgeführten empirischen Arbeiten vorgestellt." Teil A gibt einen Überblick über den Stand der Forschung und den Gang der Untersuchung. Teil B befaßt sich mit dem Komplex der Arbeitskräfteprobleme. Zunächst erfolgt eine Bestimmung der für die Untersuchung zentralen Kategorie der Arbeitskräfteprobleme und ihrer Unterbegriffe Arbeitnehmerprobleme und betriebliche Arbeitskräfteprobleme. Anschließend werden, basierend auf einer synthetisierenden Betrachtung des in Expertengesprächen, Gruppendiskussionen mit Arbeitskräften und Untersuchungen in etwa 30 Kleinbetrieben (einbezogen waren Stahlbau, Holzverarbeitung, Back- und Fleischwarenherstellung und Kfz-Gewerbe) erhobenen empirischen Materials, wichtige Dimensionen von Arbeitnehmerproblemen und anschließend von betrieblichen Arbeitskräfteproblemen referiert. Innerhalb des Teils C greift das Kapitel I zunächst die Frage nach der wechselseitigen Bedingtheit von Arbeitnehmer- und betrieblichen Arbeitskräfteproblemen auf und zeigt, daß es bezogen auf Gestaltung von Arbeitsbedingungen sowohl gegenläufige als auch kompatible Interessenlagen gibt. Im Kapitel II von Teil C werden dann die - sich von Groß- und Mittelbetrieben gravierend unterscheidenden - Voraussetzungen für eine Humanisierungspolitik in Kleinbetrieben untersucht. In Kapitel III von Teil C steht zunächst der Aspekt der Sicherung existierender günstiger Momente von Arbeitsbedingungen im Vordergrund. Im zweiten Abschnitt des Kapitels werden dann Überlegungen zu konventionellen und neuartigen Ansatzpunkten zur Verbesserung von Arbeitsbedingungen in Kleinbetrieben angestellt, wobei beispielhaft die Rolle der räumlichen Bedingungen und die spezifischen Diffusionshindernisse (vorhandener) neuartiger menschengerechter technischer Ausrüstung behandelt werden. Teil D präsentiert den Stand der im Rahmen des Projekts durchgeführten konzeptuellen Arbeiten zur Entwicklung eines Typisierungsansatzes für den kleinbetrieblichen Sektor. Abschließend folgt noch ein ausschließlich sekundäranalytisch angelegter Exkurs, der der Frage nachgeht, welche Aufschlüsse für die Fragestellung des Forschungsvorhabens aus einer Inventarisierung und Auswertung vorhandener Bevölkerungs- und Arbeitnehmerbefragungen gewonnen werden können." (IAB2

The cratering record of Ganymede and the origin of potential impactors: open issues

The origin of impactors on the Galilean satellites of Jupiter is an open question. In this study we present results from a mapping campaign based on reprocessed Voyager and Galileo SSI images in order to derive a thourough data base of Ganymede's crater distributions