Open Access

Eine aktuelle Studie kommt zu dem Schluss, dass soziale Sicherung stärker als eigenständiger Sektor begriffen werden muss, der hilft, um den Ursachen von Flucht und Migration entgegenzuwirken.

Am 14.08.2006 wurde in Deutschland das Allgemeine Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG) vom Bundestag verabschiedet. Das Ziel des AGG ist es, Benachteiligungen aufgrund bestimmter soziologischer Merkmale zu verhindern oder zu beseitigen. Im § 1 des AGG wird ausdrücklich auch das Merkmal „Alter“ genannt. In § 2 AGG wird unter den konkreten Benachteiligungen der Sozialschutz einschließlich der sozialen Sicherheit und der Gesundheitsdienste aufgeführt. Der jüngere Versicherte darf keinen „besseren“ Versicherungsschutz erhalten als der Ältere. Insofern werden auch medizinische Sachverständige bei der Klärung von Kausalitätsfragen im Rechtsbereich der gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung mit dem AGG konfrontiert. Grundsätzlich folgt die Kausalitätsprüfung bei älteren Versicherten den Kriterien der sozialrechtlichen Kausalitätslehre, d.h. der Zurechnungslehre der wesentlichen Bedingung. Zusätzlich müssen hier aber die physiologischen, altersspezifischen Veränderungen berücksichtigt werden, um eine Diskriminierung im Sinne des AGG zu vermeiden. Eine strukturierte Kausalitätsprüfung bei älteren Patienten muss sich beim Vorliegen konkurrierender Ursachen immer der Frage stellen, ob eine altersgerechte, oder aber über das altersentsprechende Maß hinausgehende Texturstörung/Degeneration des geschädigten Gewebes vorliegt. Eine altersgerechte degenerative Veränderung des Körpers ist keine Schadensanlage mit der ein (Arbeits-)Unfall abgelehnt werden kann; geschieht dies doch, ist dies eine unzulässige Altersdiskriminierung.

OBJECTIVES Retrospective studies in patients with primary brain tumors or other central nervous system pathologies as well as postmortem studies have suggested that gadolinium (Gd) deposition occurs in the dentate nucleus (DN) and globus pallidus (GP) after multiple administrations of primarily linear Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). However, this deposition has not been associated with any adverse effects or histopathological alterations. The aim of this preclinical study was to systematically examine differences between linear and macrocyclic GBCAs in their potential to induce changes in brain and skin histology including Gd distribution in high spatial resolution. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty male Wistar-Han rats were randomly allocated into control (saline, n = 10 rats) and 4 GBCA groups (linear GBCAs: gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine, macrocyclic GBCAs: gadobutrol and gadoteridol; n = 10 rats per group). The animals received 20 daily intravenous injections at a dose of 2.5 mmol Gd/kg body weight. Eight weeks after the last GBCA administration, the animals were killed, and the brain and skin samples were histopathologically assessed (hematoxylin and eosin; cresyl violet [Nissl]) and by immunohistochemistry. The Gd concentration in the skin, bone, brain, and skeletal muscle samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS, n = 4). The spatial Gd distribution in the brain and skin samples was analyzed in cryosections using laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS, n = 3). For the ultra-high resolution of Gd distribution, brain sections of rats injected with gadodiamide or saline (n = 1) were assessed by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. RESULTS No histological changes were observed in the brain. In contrast, 4 of 10 animals in the gadodiamide group but none of the animals in other groups showed macroscopic and histological nephrogenic systemic fibrosis-like skin lesions. The Gd concentrations observed in the skin/brain samples (in nanomole Gd per gram of tissue) for each agent were as follows: gadodiamide: 1472 ± 115/11.1 ± 5.1, gadopentetate dimeglumine: 80.8 ± 6.2/13.1 ± 7.3, gadobutrol: 1.1 ± 0.5/0.7 ± 0.4, and gadoteridol: 1.7 ± 0.8/0.5 ± 0.2. The average detected residual Gd concentration in the brain was approximately 15-fold higher for linear than for macrocyclic GBCAs. The highest amounts of Gd found in brain corresponded to less than 0.0002% of the injected dose per gram of tissue. Using LA-ICP-MS, high Gd concentrations in the deep cerebellar nuclei and in the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex were detected only for linear gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine but not for gadoteridol or gadobutrol. The energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed Gd-containing spots in the skin of animals administered gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine. Transmission electron microscopy revealed several Gd-containing spots in the region of the dentate nuclei in the brain of 1 animal injected with gadodiamide. CONCLUSIONS After repeated high dosing, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis-like macroscopic and histopathological lesions of the skin were observed only in some of the gadodiamide-treated animals. No histopathological findings were detected in the rodent brain. The administration of linear GBCAs was associated with significantly higher Gd concentrations in the brain and skin compared with macrocyclic GBCA administration. The results of LA-ICP-MS demonstrated local accumulation of Gd within the deep cerebellar nuclei and the granular layer only after the administration of linear agents. In summary, the detected low Gd concentrations in the skin and brain were well correlated with the higher kinetic stability of macrocyclic GBCA.

Dentalkomposite sind hochkomplexe Materialsysteme. Bei der Materialentwicklung gilt es in der Regel, die wichtigen Eigenschaften wie Aushärtungszeit, Schrumpfung, Verarbeitbarkeit, Einhärtetiefe, finale mechanische Eigenschaften, Polierbarkeit sowie die Biokompatibilität zu verbessern.

Rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms can be initiated experimentally in naive K/BxN mice by simultaneously administering the two monoclonal antibodies 11H3 and 46H9. Both antibodies specifically recognize Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase (GPI), a known auto antigen in RA patients. Amino acid sequences of the Fv parts of the antibodies were determined by translating the respective hybridoma DNA sequences and served for threedimensional structure modeling of the paratope regions. In silico docking of both Fv antibody structure models to the X-ray structures of the homodimeric murine GPI as well as to the homodimeric human GPI predicted the murine epitope of the 11H3 antibodies to comprise partial amino acid sequences QRVRSGDWKGYTGKS (aa134-148) and AAKDPSAVAK (aa232-241), generating an assembled (conformational) epitope. The 11H3 epitope on human GPI encompasses the matching partial amino acid sequences QRVRSGDWKGYTGKT (aa134-148) and AAKDPSAVAK (aa232-241). The epitope of the 46H9 antibody was determined to consist of the partial murine GPI amino acid sequence RKELQAAGKSPEDLEK (aa446-461) and the human GPI amino acid sequence RKELQAAGKSPEDLER (aa446-461), respectively, resembling consecutive (linear) epitopes. The predicted epitopes were verified by mass spectrometric epitope mapping using synthetic epitope peptides. Peptide QRVRSGDWKGYTGKS[GSMSGS] AAKDPSAAK included a small spacer sequence in between the epitope sequences, mimicking the assembled epitope for the 11H3 antibody. The peptide RKELQAAGKSPEDLEK represented the consecutive epitope for the 46H9 antibody. The determined B-cell epitopes of GPI and their interactions with the monoclonal antibodies provide a detailed structural understanding of immunological disease onset mechanisms in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.

The Fitness Fatigue model is often used for performance analysis. It uses an initial basic level of performance and two antagonistic terms: a fitness-term and a fatigue-term. By fitting the models parameters, we adapt the model to the subject’s individual physical response to strain. Even though in most cases fitting of recorded training data shows useful results, without modification the model cannot be simply used for prediction.

Nach allgemeiner Einschätzung ist das Normalarbeitsverhältnis als Lebensgrundlage der Beschäftigten einschließlich ihrer sozialen Absicherung mit verschiedenen tatsächlichen Gefährdungen und Problemen konfrontiert. Nur einige Stichworte seien hier genannt: Zunahme von Teilzeitbeschäftigung, Leiharbeit, Scheinselbstständigkeit und neue Arbeitsformen zwischen abhängiger und selbstständiger Erwerbstätigkeit. Mit einem Aspekt aus diesem Themenkreis, dem Nebeneinander mehrerer Erwerbstätigkeiten, beschäftigt sich der nachfolgende Beitrag.

This paper proposes a novel approach to the generation of state equations from a bond graph (BG) of a mode switching linear time invariant model. Fast state transitions are modelled by ideal or non-ideal switches. Fixed causalities are assigned following the Standard Causality Assignment Procedure such that the number of storage elements in integral causality is maximised. A system of differential and algebraic equations (DAEs) is derived from the BG that holds for all system modes. It is distinguished between storage elements with mode independent causality and those that change causality due to switch state changes.

This study aims to highlight the significance of social protection as an autonomous strategy for migration policies and research. It focuses particularly on the German strategies for combating the causes of flight and migration. By managing migration flows, stabilizing societies and encouraging economic development, social protection can play an important role in reducing migration flows. At the same time, social protection can act as a stabilizer in the countries of origin and accelerate economic growth as well as supporting individual decisions to return to the countries of origin.