Calculating Risk, Denying Uncertainty: Seismicity and Hydropower Development in Nepal

If Ulrich Beck’s definition of ‘risk society’ describes societies increasingly structured by preoccupations with future environmental threats and related insecurities created by modernization, then Nepal’s hydropower community would appear to be quite the opposite, propelled into environmental denial by twin demands for domestic electricity and revenue earned through hydroelectric export. Our research reveals that prior to the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the hydropower community was engaging in what Eviatar Zerubavel calls ‘socially organized denial,’ largely ignoring the uncertainties associated with seismic activity. Earthquakes and tremors were viewed as unavoidable realities that should not impede hydropower development. This denial, we argue, was shaped not only by local political realities and demand for electricity, but also by a larger desire to capitalize on available funds from international finance, which are highly contingent upon Nepal presenting itself as a ‘safe’ zone for investment. Our study focuses on the elites of Nepal’s hydro community: the developers, investors, water experts, and government officials who occupy the ‘upstream’ positions at which scientific knowledge is produced and adjudicated. On one hand, the denial or omission of earthquake potential that we witnessed seems to identify the ineluctable challenges that Nepal faces in attempting to integrate its economy into global markets; on the other hand, it indicates the desire of the private sector to reap profits from hydropower in spite of obvious geophysical dangers. These dangers, we argue, are a bankable risk for these elites. However, for the people directly affected by new hydropower infrastructures, these are risks and uncertainties threatening already vulnerable livelihoods

DRGs in Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy in Germany

Patients requiring transfusion medicine and hemotherapy in an inpatient setting are incorporated into the German Diagnosis Related Groups (G-DRG) system in multiple ways. Different DRGs exist in Major Diagnostic Category 16 for patients that have been admitted for the treatment of a condition from the field of transfusion medicine. However, the reimbursement might be not cost covering for many cases, and efforts have to be intensified to find adequate definitions and prices. We believe that this can only be successful if health service research is intensified in this field. For patients requiring hemotherapy and transfusion medicine concomitant to the treatment of an underlying disease such as cancer, multiple systems exist to increase remuneration, among them the Patient Clinical Complexity Level (PCCL) and complex constellations to induce DRG splits. For direct reimbursement of high cost products, additional remuneration fees (Zusatzentgelte, ZE) are the most important. In addition, expensive innovations not reflected within the DRGs can be reimbursed after application and negotiation of the New Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (Neue Untersuchungs- und Behandlungsmethoden, NUB) system. The NUB system guarantees that medical progress is put rapidly into clinical practice and prevents financial issues from becoming a stumbling block for the use of innovative drugs and methods

Kernel functions based on triplet comparisons

Given only information in the form of similarity triplets "Object A is more similar to object B than to object C" about a data set, we propose two ways of defining a kernel function on the data set. While previous approaches construct a low-dimensional Euclidean embedding of the data set that reflects the given similarity triplets, we aim at defining kernel functions that correspond to high-dimensional embeddings. These kernel functions can subsequently be used to apply any kernel method to the data set

Hadronic weak decays in the heavy quark limit

We discuss exclusive charmless hadronic B decays. In particular we perform a phenomenological analysis of the decay into 2 longitudinal vector mesons and present analytical integral-expressions for the decay into proton and antiproton. The light nucleon form factor is part of the decay amplitude into protons and is calculated and regularized explicitly at subleading power in the large energy limit

Development of a metallic magnetic calorimeter with integrated SQUID readout

This thesis describes the development of a high-resolution soft X-ray detector based on metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs). MMCs are cryogenic, energy dispersive particle detectors which consist of a particle absorber that is thermally coupled to a paramagnetic temperature sensor. The latter is placed in a weak magnetic field, hence exhibiting a temperature dependent magnetization M(T). Upon X-ray photon absorption, the rise of detector temperature causes a change of sensor magnetization, which is usually read out with a current-sensing dc-SQUID via a superconducting flux transformer. Here, an imperfect transformer matching, as well as a transformer intrinsic energy coupling losses, limit the achievable energy resolution. To challenge this limit, a novel integrated detector was developed, in which the temperature sensor is integrated into a custom-designed dc-SQUID to maximize signal coupling. A major challenge of this configuration is the Joule heating of the SQUID, since heating effects prevent cooling of the detector and thus limit its performance. For this reason, the developed 32 pixel detector makes use of a newly developed thermalization scheme for the SQUID’s shunt resistors, resulting in operation temperatures below 20 mK for the detector. With this kind of detector, a baseline energy resolution of dE = 1.3 eV, and dE = 1.8 eV at 5.9 keV was achieved

The role of CADM1 in energy and glucose homeostasis

Mehr als 300 Millionen Menschen sind weltweit von Diabetes betroffen, die Mehrheit davon leidet an Typ-2-Diabetes. Typ-2-Diabetes ist durch eine Insulinresistenz charakterisiert, welche meistens durch Übergewicht und Adipositas verursacht wird. Diese Insulinresistenz kann zunächst durch eine erhöhte pankreatische Insulinsekretion kompensiert werden, jedoch können langfristig die pankreatischen beta-Zellen den erhöhten Insulinbedarf nicht mehr decken. Dies verursacht einen starken Anstieg der Blutglucosespiegel und stellt den Beginn der Typ-2-Diabetes Erkrankung dar. Neben genetischen Veränderungen sind Umweltfaktoren, wie erhöhte Nahrungsaufnahme und reduzierte Bewegung, wichtige Faktoren in der Pathogenese des Typ-2-Diabetes. Frühere Forschungsergebnisse zeigten eine wichtige Rolle von microRNA 375 (miR-375) im Wachstum und in der Funktion der Insulin produzierenden beta-Zellen. Die Genexpression von miR-375 ist in diabetischen Nagetieren und Menschen verändert, was auf eine wichtige Rolle dieser microRNA in der Pathogenese des Typ-2-Diabetes hindeutet. Gene, die durch miR-375 reguliert werden, wurden in den pankreatischen beta-Zellen beschrieben, jedoch ist der Mechanismus wie miR-375 das Wachstum und die Funktion der pankreatischen beta-Zellen beeinflusst noch nicht im Detail verstanden. Das Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (CADM1) ist ein bekanntes Zielgen der miR-375 und vor allem im Gehirn als Regulator von Anzahl und Funktion der Synapsen bekannt. Da es außerdem in den pankreatischen beta Zellen exprimiert ist, könnte es auch dort an der Regulation von beta-Zellwachstum und –funktion beteiligt sein und die Glucose- und Energiehomöostase verändern. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, in vollständig oder konditionell Cadm1-defizienten Mäusen den Einfluss von CADM1 in pankreatischen beta-Zellen und neuronalem Gewebe an der Regulation von Glucose- und Energiehomöostase zu untersuchen.More than 300 million people world-wide are affected by diabetes, the majority suffering from type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, usually caused by obesity and overweight. Enhanced pancreatic insulin secretion largely compensates insulin resistance for years. A failure of pancreatic beta-cells to meet increased insulin demands drastically increases blood glucose levels and marks the onset of type 2 diabetes. Besides environmental influences, mainly elevated food intake and reduced physical activity, also genetic mutations are important factors in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Recent literature highlights the role of microRNA 375 (miR-375) in the growth and function of pancreatic insulin-producing beta-cells. MiR-375 gene expression is regulated in diabetic humans and rodents, suggesting that this microRNA is involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Genes regulated by miR-375 have been described in pancreatic beta-cells. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms how miR-375 regulates beta-cell growth and insulin secretion have not been understood. Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is a known target of miR-375 and has mainly been described as regulator of synapse number and synaptic function in the brain. CADM1 is also expressed in pancreatic beta-cells and might regulate beta-cell growth and function and might be involved in the control of glucose and energy homeostasis. The aim of this work was to investigate whether CADM1 in pancreatic beta-cells or neuronal tissue contributes to the regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis by using total and conditional Cadm1 deficient mice. Total Cadm1 deficient (Cadm1KO) mice showed increased sensitivity to glucose and insulin as well as enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion compared to littermate control mice. Elevated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion after Cadm1 depletion could be confirmed in an in vitro beta-cell model

Towards the Role of Self, Worth, and Feelings in (Re-)Producing Social Dominance: Explicating Pierre Bourdieu's Implicit Theory of Affect

In this theoretical article it is argued that Pierre Bourdieu’s Social Theory pro-vides us with a convincing account of how the subjectivated social actor, social evaluation procedures, and affective states are inherently intertwined. Therefore, it contains an implicit theory of affect offering not only a better understanding of the role affective states play within sociological theory building, but also in the (re-)production of social order, especially in terms of social inequality or social domination in (late) modernity. In doing so, it also illuminates processes of social transformation. A twofold analysis is provided: A reconstruction of Bourdieu’s perspective on the general structure of (late) modernity especially emphasizing his (late) modern anthropology, as well as an examination of his theoretical considerations of the habitus. As a result, on a social theoretical level, feelings, emotions, sensations, etc. appear as a specific, particularly naturalized evaluative social practice. On the level of societal analysis feeling appreciated as the result of practically referring appreciatively towards oneself emerges as the legitimate (late) modern subject structure