Drivers of energy efficiency in German manufacturing : a firm-level stochastic frontier analysis

Increasing energy efficiency is one of the main goals in current German energy and climate policies. We study the determinants of energy efficiency in the German manufacturing sector based on official firm-level production census data. By means of a stochastic frontier analysis, we estimate the cost-minimizing energy demand function at the two-digit industry level using firm-level heterogeneity. Apart from the identification of the determinants of the energy demand function, we also analyze potential drivers of energy efficiency. Our results suggest that there is still potential to increase energy efficiency in most industries of the German manufacturing sector. Furthermore, we find that in most industries exporting and innovating firms as well as those investing in environmental protection measures are more energy efficient than their counterparts. In contrast, firms which are regulated by the European Union Emissions Trading System are mostly less energy efficient than non-regulated firms

Belastungen mit chlororganischen Schadstoffen und Metallen bei Patienten mit Multipler Sklerose

Bei der Multiplen Sklerose (MS, Encephalomyelitis disseminata) handelt es sich um eine chronische, multilokuläre demyelinisierende Erkrankung des Zentralen Nervensystems, deren Ursachen bisher nicht exakt geklärt werden konnten. Die im ZNS disseminiert auftretenden Entzündungs- und Entmarkungsherde sind Ursache der sehr unterschiedlich verlaufenden klinischen Symptomatik u.a. mit multifokalen sensiblen Ausfällen, Paresen, Hirnnervenbefall, zerebellären Störungen, Blasenstörungen sowie neuropsychologischen Defiziten (z.B. hirnorganisches Psychosyndrom). Bei einer Prävalenz von etwa 50-100/100.000 und einer Inzidenz von 4-6/100.000 in Deutschland beträgt das Verhältnis von Frauen zu Männern etwa 2:1. Ätiologisch werden u.a. T-Zell-vermittelte Autoimmunmechanismen, Virusinfektionen, genetische Dispositionen und der Einfluß verschiedener Umweltfaktoren diskutiert. Es stellt sich auch die Frage nach erhöhten Belastungen mit chlororganischen Schadstoffen und Metallen

Nachuntersuchungen zu gesundheitlichen Langzeit-Effekten von Kühlschmierstoffen

Kühlschmierstoffe (KSS) werden in großem Umfang in der metallverarbeitenden Industrie eingesetzt. Beim Umgang mit KSS sind verschiedene Gesundheitsgefahren bekannt. Neben den Wirkungen auf die Haut (z.B. Abnutzungsdermatose, allergische Erkrankungen, früher auch Hautkrebs) sind die Auswirkungen der Dämpfe und Aerosole auf den Respirationstrakt bisher nicht einheitlich bewertet worden. Es wird über Soforttyp-Allergien, chronische Bronchitiden, akute reversible Lungenfunktionsstörungen und unspezifische Reizwirkungen an den Atemwegen berichtet. Ferner finden sich inhalative Belastungen mit Schimmelpilzen, Bakterien und Metallabrieb, die bei Sensibilisierung langfristig zu interstitiellen Lungenerkrankungen (Fibrose) führen können. Gesundheitliche Langzeit-Effekte der ausgesprochen heterogenen Kühlschmierstoffgemische wurden an einem Kollektiv der saarländischen Metallindustrie untersucht. Bei der Erstuntersuchung Anfang der 80er Jahre konnten keine gehäuften Erkrankungen unter den Exponierten im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe ermittelt werden

Belastungen mit chlororganischen Schadstoffen und Metallen bei Patienten mit Multipler Sklerose

Bei der Multiplen Sklerose (MS, Encephalomyelitis disseminata) handelt es sich um eine chronische, multilokuläre demyelinisierende Erkrankung des Zentralen Nervensystems, deren Ursachen bisher nicht exakt geklärt werden konnten. Die im ZNS disseminiert auftretenden Entzündungs- und Entmarkungsherde sind Ursache der sehr unterschiedlich verlaufenden klinischen Symptomatik u.a. mit multifokalen sensiblen Ausfällen, Paresen, Hirnnervenbefall, zerebellären Störungen, Blasenstörungen sowie neuropsychologischen Defiziten (z.B. hirnorganisches Psychosyndrom). Bei einer Prävalenz von etwa 50-100/100.000 und einer Inzidenz von 4-6/100.000 in Deutschland beträgt das Verhältnis von Frauen zu Männern etwa 2:1. Ätiologisch werden u.a. T-Zell-vermittelte Autoimmunmechanismen, Virusinfektionen, genetische Dispositionen und der Einfluß verschiedener Umweltfaktoren diskutiert. Es stellt sich auch die Frage nach erhöhten Belastungen mit chlororganischen Schadstoffen und Metallen

Metalldampffieber nach Schneidbrenntätigkeit als Differentialdiagnose bei alveolärem Infiltrat

Metalldampffieber (synonym: Giesser-, Schweisser-, Zinkdampf-Fieber) tritt vor allem nach Schweissen oder Schneiden verzinkter Werkstücke auf. Die durch die Inhalation von Zinkoxiden verursachte und durch Zytokine vermittelte Symptomatik beginnt meist wenige Stunden nach Exposition, geht mit allgemeinem Krankheitsgefühl, Kopf- und Gliederschmerzen, Husten und Fieber einher und klingt zumeist ohne Folgeschäden in 24 bis 36 Stunden ab. Eine computertomographische Darstellung des dabei möglichen alveolären Infiltrats wird hier aufgezeigt

Scalar Multiplet Dark Matter

We perform a systematic study of the phenomenology associated to models where the dark matter consists in the neutral component of a scalar SU(2)_L n-uplet, up to n=7. If one includes only the pure gauge induced annihilation cross-sections it is known that such particles provide good dark matter candidates, leading to the observed dark matter relic abundance for a particular value of their mass around the TeV scale. We show that these values actually become ranges of values -which we determine- if one takes into account the annihilations induced by the various scalar couplings appearing in these models. This leads to predictions for both direct and indirect detection signatures as a function of the dark matter mass within these ranges. Both can be largely enhanced by the quartic coupling contributions. We also explain how, if one adds right-handed neutrinos to the scalar doublet case, the results of this analysis allow to have altogether a viable dark matter candidate, successful generation of neutrino masses, and leptogenesis in a particularly minimal way with all new physics at the TeV scale.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figure

Higgs portal, fermionic dark matter, and a Standard Model like Higgs at 125 GeV

We show that fermionic dark matter (DM) which communicates with the Standard Model (SM) via the Higgs portal is a viable scenario, even if a SM-like Higgs is found at around 125 GeV. Using effective field theory we show that for DM with a mass in the range from about 60 GeV to 2 TeV the Higgs portal needs to be parity violating in order to be in agreement with direct detection searches. For parity conserving interactions we identify two distinct options that remain viable: a resonant Higgs portal, and an indirect Higgs portal. We illustrate both possibilities using a simple renormalizable toy model.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures; references and discussion of Sommerfeld effect added; matches published versio

Platinum(IV)-Loaded Degraded Glycol Chitosan as Efficient Platinum(IV) Drug Delivery Platform

A new class of anticancer prodrugs was designed by combining the cytotoxicity of platinum(IV) complexes and the drug carrier properties of glycol chitosan polymers: Unsymmetrically carboxylated platinum(IV) analogues of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, namely (OC-6-44)-acetatodiammine(3-carboxypropanoato)dichloridoplatinum(IV), (OC-6-44)-acetaodiammine(3-carboxypropanoato)(cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylato)platinum(IV) and (OC-6-44)-acetato(3-carboxypropanoato)(1R,2R-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine)oxalatoplatinum(IV) were synthesised and conjugated via amide bonding to degraded glycol chitosan (dGC) polymers with different chain lengths (5, 10, 18 kDa). The 15 conjugates were investigated with 1H and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy, and average amounts of platinum(IV) units per dGC polymer molecule with ICP-MS, revealing a range of 1.3–22.8 platinum(IV) units per dGC molecule. Cytotoxicity was tested with MTT assays in the cancer cell lines A549, CH1/PA-1, SW480 (human) and 4T1 (murine). IC50 values in the low micromolar to nanomolar range were obtained, and higher antiproliferative activity (up to 72 times) was detected with dGC-platinum(IV) conjugates in comparison to platinum(IV) counterparts. The highest cytotoxicity (IC50 of 0.036 ± 0.005 µM) was determined in CH1/PA-1 ovarian teratocarcinoma cells with a cisplatin(IV)–dGC conjugate, which is hence 33 times more potent than the corresponding platinum(IV) complex and twice more potent than cisplatin. Biodistribution studies of an oxaliplatin(IV)–dGC conjugate in non-tumour-bearing Balb/C mice showed an increased accumulation in the lung compared to the unloaded oxaliplatin(IV) analogue, arguing for further activity studies

Patterns and drivers of recent disturbances across the temperate forest biome

Increasing evidence indicates that forest disturbances are changing in response to global change, yet local variability in disturbance remains high. We quantified this considerable variability and analyzed whether recent disturbance episodes around the globe were consistently driven by climate, and if human influence modulates patterns of forest disturbance. We combined remote sensing data on recent (2001-2014) disturbances with in-depth local information for 50 protected landscapes and their surroundings across the temperate biome. Disturbance patterns are highly variable, and shaped by variation in disturbance agents and traits of prevailing tree species. However, high disturbance activity is consistently linked to warmer and drier than average conditions across the globe. Disturbances in protected areas are smaller and more complex in shape compared to their surroundings affected by human land use. This signal disappears in areas with high recent natural disturbance activity, underlining the potential of climate-mediated disturbance to transform forest landscapes.A.S. and R.S. acknowledge support from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) through START grant Y895-B25. C.S. acknowledges funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under REA grant agreement Nr. 605728 (P.R.I.M.E.—Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience). T. D. acknowledges funding from the Fonds institutionnel de recherche de l’Universitédu Quebec en Abitibi-Te ́ miscamingue, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research ́ Council of Canada (NSERC), Tembec, and EACOM Timber Corporation. Á.G.G. was supported by FONDECYT 11150835. S.J.H. and T.T.V. acknowledge NSF Award 1262687. A.H. was partially supported by NSF (award #1738104). D.K. acknowledges support from the US NSF. D.L. was supported by an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship. A.S.M. was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (S-14) of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (15KK0022). G.L.W.P. acknowledges support from a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund grant. S.L.S. acknowledges funds from the US Joint Fire Sciences Program (project number 14-1-06-22) and UC ANR competitive grants. M.S. and T.H. acknowledges support from the institutional project MSMT CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/ 0000803. M.G.T. acknowledges funding from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Vilas Trust and the US Joint Fire Science Program (project numbers 09-1-06-3, 12-3-01-3, and 16-3-01-4). The study used data from the TRY initiative on plant traits (http://www.trydb.org). The TRY initiative and database is hosted, developed and maintained by J. Kattge and G. Boenisch (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany). TRY is currently supported by Future Earth/bioDISCOVERY and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzi

Quaternary Ammonium Palmitoyl Glycol Chitosan (GCPQ) Loaded with Platinum-Based Anticancer Agents—A Novel Polymer Formulation for Anticancer Therapy

Quaternary ammonium palmitoyl glycol chitosan (GCPQ) has already shown beneficial drug delivery properties and has been studied as a carrier for anticancer agents. Consequently, we synthesised cytotoxic platinum(IV) conjugates of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin by coupling via amide bonds to five GCPQ polymers differing in their degree of palmitoylation and quaternisation. The conjugates were characterised by 1H and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy as well as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), the latter to determine the amount of platinum(IV) units per GCPQ polymer. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT assay in three human cancer cell lines (A549, non-small-cell lung carcinoma; CH1/PA-1, ovarian teratocarcinoma; SW480, colon adenocarcinoma). All conjugates displayed a high increase in their cytotoxic activity by factors of up to 286 times compared to their corresponding platinum(IV) complexes and mostly outperformed the respective platinum(II) counterparts by factors of up to 20 times, also taking into account the respective loading of platinum(IV) units per GCPQ polymer. Finally, a biodistribution experiment was performed with an oxaliplatin-based GCPQ conjugate in non-tumour-bearing BALB/c mice revealing an increased accumulation in lung tissue. These findings open promising opportunities for further tumouricidal activity studies especially focusing on lung tissue