Sanitätspolizeiliche Bekämpfung übertragbarer Krankheiten

Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit erfolgt eine Darstellung der historischen Entwicklung legislativer Maßnahmen auf dem Gebiet des „Seuchenrechts“. Im zweiten Teil werden jene verfassungsrechtlich geschützten subjektiven Rechte dargestellt, deren Einschränkung die derzeit geltenden Vorschriften im Zuge der Abwehr von Epidemien vorsehen. Auch der nachfolgende dritte Teil beschäftigt sich mit verfassungsrechtlichen Fragestellungen, nämlich der kompetenzrechtlichen Einordnung der „Seuchengesetze“ im System des B-VG. In einem vierten Teil erschien es notwendig, den wachsenden Einfluss des Völker- und Unionsrecht auf die innerstaatliche Epidemieabwehr aufzuzeigen, bevor sich die Arbeit im Anschluss daran den derzeit vorgesehenen Maßnahmen widmet. Am Ende steht ein Ausblick auf mögliche künftige Entwicklungen.The first chapter depicts the historical development of legislative measures against epidemics. In its second chapter, the paper focuses on those constitutional rights, which may be affected by the provisions yet in force against the spread of epidemic plagues. The following chapter deals with questions of constitutional law as well, discussing the jurisdictional allocation of laws concerning the defeat of communicable diseases in the system of the Austrian B-VG. In its fourth part, the paper emphasizes the increasing influence of European law and international law on the national public health legislation. Subsequently, the measures provided by the respective laws yet in force are depicted. Finally an outlook on possible developments is presented

From Saussure to sociology and back to linguistics

The article highlights a semiotically relevant aspect of Niklas Luhmann’s Theory of Social Systems: its reception of the Saussurean dichotomies signifiant/signifié and langue/parole. Luhmann’s position is weighted against the Cours as well as Saussure’s original writings, sampling their approaches to form, meaning, the sign’s two-sidedness, and the relation of linguistic structure and speech events. Ultimately, the article proposes a social ontology of linguistic abstraction in line with general semiology that explains the motility of language through communication, thereby accounting for variability and optionality. It also indicates as to how the theoretical framework can feed into a model of linguistic description.Peer Reviewe

Partial Least Squares Regression analysis of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, modifiable health variables, and cognitive change in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: Prior work has shown that certain modifiable health, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker, and demographic variables are associated with cognitive performance. However, less is known about the relative importance of these different domains of variables in predicting longitudinal change in cognition. Objective: Identify novel relationships between modifiable physical and health variables, AD biomarkers, and slope of cognitive change over two years in a cohort of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Metrics of cardiometabolic risk, stress, inflammation, neurotrophic/growth factors, and AD pathology were assessed in 123 older adults with MCI at baseline from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (mean age = 73.9; sd =7.6; mean education = 16.0; sd = 3.0). Partial least squares regression (PLSR)—a multivariate technique which creates components that best predict an outcome—was used to identify whether these physiological variables were important in predicting slope of change in episodic memory or executive function over two years. Results: At two-year follow-up, the two PLSR models predicted, respectively, 20.0% and 19.6% of the variance in change in episodic memory and executive function. Baseline levels of AD biomarkers were important in predicting change in both episodic memory and executive function. Baseline education and neurotrophic/growth factors were important in predicting change in episodic memory, whereas cardiometabolic variables such as blood pressure and cholesterol were important in predicting change in executive function. Conclusion: These data-driven analyses highlight the impact of AD biomarkers on cognitive change and further clarify potential domain specific relationships with predictors of cognitive change