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Specific features of the information support for the process of decision-making while the enterprise management are considered in the work as well as the architecture of the information systems of a certain kind has been developed. The use of the models during making the analysis in the systems of support for decision-making is developed just as the assessment of the capabilities for these systems are validated at the different levels of management. The goals of support at the high level are examined and the possibility of the use of cognitive images is described as the instrument for data visualization.

Back pain is a common, disabling problem in Germany. Previous research has evaluated associations between low back pain (LBP), depression, and fear.The results should provide ideas of how to optimize preventive measures, give guidelines for rehabilitation of patients with LBP, and to develop new therapies.A systematic review of the literature including primary publications and meta-analyses using set search criteria in PubMed was performed. A meta-analysis was then done.In all, 34 studies met the inclusion and quality criteria, whereby 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the literature, significantly different depression scores were reported for people with LBP compared to a healthy control group. The pain perception in persons with LBP is associated with depression and fear. The correlation between depression and pain perception was highly significant in 5 studies (p 0.01) and significant in 8 studies (p 0.05). Fear and pain perception were highly significant in 4 studies (highly significant, p 0.01) and significant in 3 studies (p 0.05); 5 studies had no significant results. The studies were very heterogeneous.The results can improve the understanding of the complexity of LBP perception and its therapy. The generalization of the results is limited. To cover the correlation of psychosocial and lifestyle factors and pain perception of LBP, further research is required. To obtain a clearer picture of pain perception in persons with LBP, standardized pain assessment would be beneficial. In addition, we recommend that future studies follow standardized procedures to allow greater comparability.

In dem Beitrag wird eine Ubersicht uber den Zusammenhang zwischen metabolischen Erkrankungen, Hypertonie und Gonarthrose gegeben, die auf einer Medline-Recherche und anderen Ubersichtsartikeln basiert. Laut dieser Ubersichtsarbeit sind unter bestimmten Bedingungen die Gicht sowie die Akromegalie als Ursachenfaktoren fur die Entwicklung einer Gonarthrose anzusehen. Dies ist bei den ubrigen metabolischen Erkrankungen (Chondrokalzinose, Ablagerungen von Hydroxylapatit, Ochronose, hereditare Hamochromatose, Hypothyreose, Hyperthyreose, Hyperparathyreoidismus, Diabetes mellitus, Rachitis, Hypercholesterinamie sowie der Hypertonie) nicht der Fall.

Die Kniegelenkarthrose gehort zu den wichtigen und funktionell stark beeintrachtigenden Erkrankungen des Muskel-Skelett-Systems des Erwachsenenalters. Das Spektrum ihrer Ursachen ist breit. Ubergewicht ist dabei in der Atiologie einer der wesentlichen Grunde. Insbesondere in der Begutachtung von Fallen der Berufskrankheit BK 2112 (Gonarthrose durch langjahriges Knien) im Berufskrankheitenverfahren sind Kenntnisse zum Ursache-Wirkungs-Zusammenhang zwischen Ubergewicht und der Kniegelenkarthrose von Bedeutung. Die Arbeit gibt auf Grundlage einer systematisch angelegten Literaturrecherche von Kohortenstudien eine Ubersicht, ob und in welchem Umfang bei Erwachsenen Ubergewicht einen Risikofaktor in der Atiologie der Kniegelenkarthrose (Gonarthrose) darstellt. Insgesamt wurden 26 Kohortenstudien zur Fragestellung identifiziert. Auf Grundlage der nachgewiesenen Kohortenstudien kann belegt werden, dass eine eindeutige und positive Assoziation zwischen korperlichem Ubergewicht und der Entstehung einer Kniegelenkarthrose besteht. Im Vergleich zu Normalgewichtigen verdoppelt sich das Risiko fur das Auftreten dieser Erkrankung bei Ubergewichtigen pro Kategorie des Ubergewichts (ubergewichtig: ab 25–30 kg/m2; adipos: ab 30 kg/m2). Eine Dosis-Wirkungs-Beziehung in Bezug auf das Ausmas des Ubergewichts ist damit eindeutig nachweisbar. Ubergewicht hat eine wesentliche Bedeutung in der Atiologie der primaren Kniegelenkarthrose.

Neben der strukturgebenden Funktion konnen Knochenersatzstoffe auch als Vehikel fur die lokale Antibiotikafreisetzung dienen, um Infektionen der Knochen vorzubeugen oder zu behandeln. Die Sattigung und antibiotische Wirksamkeit von Gentamicin und Levofloxacin mit Healos® wurde in vitro uberpruft und mit Healos® ohne Antibiotikazusatz verglichen. Die antibiotisch gesattigten Knochenersatzstoffe wurden unverdunnt und in 10- sowie 100facher Verdunnung auf ihre Aktivitat gegen spondylodiszitisspezifische Keime auf verschiedenen Agarplatten nach der Agardiffusionsmethode getestet. Alle antibiotikumgesattigten und verdunnten Kollagen/HA-Proben zeigten ellipsenformige Hemmhofe auf den entsprechenden Agarplatten. Fur beide Antibiotika konnte ein linearer Zusammenhang zwischen Hemmhofgrose und Verdunnung festgestellt werden. Die antibakterielle Wirkung des antibiotikumgesattigten Kollagen/HA entspricht der antibiotischen Verdunnung. Die Ergebnisse sollten auf In-vivo-Studien ausgeweitet werden, um die antibakterielle Effizienz der Antibiotikum gesattigten Knochenersatzstoffe nach Implantation zu bestimmen.

Back pain is a complex phenomenon that goes beyond a simple medical diagnosis. The aetiology and chronification of back pain can be best described as an interaction between biological, psychological, and social processes. However, to date, multimodal prevention and intervention programs for back pain that target all three aetiological factors have demonstrated limited effectiveness. This lack of supportive evidence for multimodal programmes in the treatment of back pain could be due to the fact that few programs are suitable for long-term and unsupervised use in everyday life. Moreover, in combining the elements from various therapies, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of the separate components. In this contribution, we will describe the development of a new multimodal intervention for back pain that set out to address these limitations. To this end, the biological elements of neuromuscular adaptation is supplemented with cognitive behavioral and psychophysiological techniques in an intervention that can be followed at home as well as in clinics, and that is suitable for all grades of pain. The efficacy of this intervention will be tested in a multicentric randomized controlled longitudinal trial (n = 714) at five time points over a period of 6 months. Here we will describe the development and the content of this new intervention.

Context: Raloxifene is a promising breast cancer prevention agent in postmenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer. The effects of raloxifene in premenopausal women are unknown. Objective: We evaluated the effect of raloxifene in premenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer on bone mineral density (BMD). Design: This was a phase II clinical trial. Setting: This study was conducted at an academic medical center. Participants: Thirty-seven premenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer enrolled in the trial. Thirty subjects began treatment and 27 were evaluable. Intervention: Raloxifene (60 mg daily) and elemental calcium (500 mg daily) were given for 2 yr. Subjects were followed up off medications for 1 yr. Main Outcome Measure: The primary end point was the intrasubject percent change in BMD at 1 yr measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: The mean baseline lumbar spine density was 1.027 g/cm2. Lumbar spine density decreased 2.3% at 1 yr (P < 0.00001) and 3.5% at 2 yr (P < .00001). Percent change from yr 2 to 3 was +1.4%. The mean baseline total hip bone density was 0.905 g/cm2. Total hip density decreased 0.3% at 1 yr and 1.0% at 2 yr (P = 0.033). Percent change from yr 2 to 3 was +1.7%. Conclusions: Raloxifene use is associated with a decrease in BMD in premenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer. The clinical significance of this decrease is unknown and is attenuated with stopping raloxifene.

SummaryThe main goal of this research was to investigate the effects of a wet pad-and-fan evaporative cooling system (ECS) on the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) and fruit cracking in greenhouse-grown bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The specific objectives were: (i) to study the efficiency of the wet pad-and-fan ECS in improving plant water status and reducing transpiration; and (ii) to explore the impact of these conditions on fruit yield, fruit Ca content and the incidence of BER and fruit cracking. For 3 years, peppers were grown in the Lachish Region, Israel, in a greenhouse divided into two compartments, one with and one without (control) a pad-and-fan ECS. The results showed that the ECS increased total fruit yield and the incidence of cracked fruits, but reduced the incidence of BER. The efficiency of the ECS in reducing temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) decreased as the distance from the wet pad increased. Consequently, the incidence of cracked fruits decreased with distance from ...

Mit diesem Beitrag soll ein kurzer Uberblick uber den aktuellen Stand wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse zu den genetischen Ursachen der Gonarthrose gegeben werden. Anhand der Ergebnisse zahlreicher internationaler Studien werden beispielhaft Zusammenhange zwischen genetischen bzw. molekularbiologischen Besonderheiten und dem erhohten Risiko einer vorzeitigen Kniegelenkdegeneration aufgedeckt und deren Bedeutung fur die Begutachtung nach dem Sozialgesetzbuch VII diskutiert.

Verletzungen des Kniegelenks konnen, in Abhangigkeit von der Schwere und vom Verletzungstyp, ein erhohtes Risiko fur eine dem Altersdurchschnitt vorangehende Gonarthrose sein [konkurrierender Faktor zur BK (Berufskrankheit) Gonarthrose]. Auf der Basis einer systematischen Literaturdurchsicht und anschliesender Metaanalyse kann das erhohte Gonarthroserisiko fur folgende Verletzungen als durch Studien gesichert angesehen werden: Patellafraktur [OR („odds ratio“) 1,2], Tibiakopffraktur (OR: 1,5), Patellaluxation (OR: 1,6), Ruptur des vorderen Kreuzbands, insbesondere bei Meniskusbeteiligung, (OR: 2,5), Meniskusverlust (OR: 1,8). Fur andere Verletzungen (hinteres Kreuzband, suprakondylare Frakturen, Ober- und Unterschenkelschaftfrakturen) steht ein Beweis durch entsprechende Studien aus. Gemas Expertenmeinung sind aber auch solche Verletzungen im Einzelfall als Gonarthroserisikofaktoren und damit als konkurrierende Faktoren fur die BK Gonarthrose anzusehen.

Blossom-end rot (BER) is one of the major physiological disorders of green-house bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The objective of the present work was to study the effects of the solution N concentration and N-NO3: N-NH4 ratio on fruit yield and the incidence of BER and other fruit-quality traits of greenhouse-grown bell pepper in a Mediterranean climate. Three experiments were conducted: Expt. 1 included five total N concentrations (0.25 to 14 mmol·L-1, with a constant N-NO3: N-NH4 ratio of 4); Expt. 2 included five treatments of different NO3: NH4 molar ratios (0.25 to 4, with a constant N concentration of 7 mmol·L-1); and Expt. 3 included three treatments of different NO3: NH4 molar ratios (1.0, 3.0 and 9.0, with a constant N concentration of 7 mmol·L-1). Plants were grown in an aero-hydroponics system in Expts. 1 and 2 and in tuff medium in Expt. 3, in greenhouses in Israel. The optimal values of N concentration for total fruit yield and for high fruit quality (marketable) were 9.3 and 8.3 mmol·L-1, respectively. The total and high-quality fruit yields both increased with increasing N-NO3: N-NH4 ratio in the range studied. The total and high-quality fruit yields both decreased sharply as the NH4 concentration in the solution increased above 2 mmol·L-1. The increase in the NH4 concentration in the solution is the main cause of the suppression of Ca concentration in the leaves and fruits and the increased incidence of BER. The occurrence of flat fruits also increased with increasing NH4 concentration in the solution.

We present an integrated model for teaching students to write psychology literature reviews. Students receive instruction in a sophomore-level research methods class about 5 writing tasks: (a) focusing research topics by linking several variables in a computer literature search, (b) systematically coding information from selected studies, (c) developing common measures to describe outcomes in the selected studies, (d) searching for potential variables that moderate those outcomes, and (e) evaluating research quality. We use these tasks, derived from meta-analysis, to teach students to write creative, integrated literature reviews. We argue that such instruction, presented early in undergraduates' training, prepares students to write formal papers in advanced courses.

Hintergrund/Einleitung: Angesichts der auch hierzulande beachtlichen Zahl an Ausfallen im Spitzensport ist es auffallig, dass fur Deutschland bis dato kaum gesundheitsbezogene Studien zum Thema psychosoziale Belastungen im Leistungssport vorliegen. Psychosoziale Beanspruchungen und deren Folgen im Arbeitsleben sind umfangreich erforscht, bei der Kategorie der Berufsleistungssportler/innen herrscht allerdings Kenntnisbedarf. Im Training und vor allem im Wettkampf fuhrt das Wissen uber Belastungsmuster und deren Veranderung zu deutlich verbesserten Bedingungen. Im Zentrum dieser Arbeit steht deshalb die Ermittlung verschiedener psychosozialer Belastungsarten in unterschiedlichen olympischen Sportarten und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit und Lebenszufriedenheit der Sportler/innen. Material und Methoden: Als Datenbasis dieser Untersuchung dient die „Elite Athletes' Health- Study“ (EliAH). Mit standardisierten Fragebogen wurden 273 Kaderathleten/innen des deutschen Sportbundes befragt, in dem unter anderem das aus der Arbeitssoziologie stammende Modell der beruflichen Gratifikationskrisen (Siegrist, 1996 & 2004) auf den Kontext Leistungssport angewendet wurde. Es werden Pravalenzen fur die unterschiedlichen Stressarten in verschiedenen Sportarten ermittelt und miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt. Auserdem werden Korrelationen mit der Zufriedenheit der Gesundheit und der allgemeinen Lebenszufriedenheit prasentiert. Ergebnisse: Es zeigen sich zum einen moderate Belastungen durch negative Zukunftserwartungen und durch das aktuelle Training. Zum anderen berichten die Athleten/innen eine sehr hohe psychische Belastung durch die fehlende Anerkennung durch den Trainer und durch Dritte. Die Korrelationsanalyse zeigt auserdem signifikante Zusammenhange zwischen dem Belastungsniveau durch das Training und durch negative zukunftige Erwartungen einerseits und der Gesundheit sowie der Lebenszufriedenheit andererseits. Diskussion/Schussfolgerungen: Die Athleten/innen leiden am meisten unter fehlender sozialer Anerkennung im engen und weiten sozialen Umfeld. Diese Belastungen wirkten sich zum Zeitpunkt der Erhebung auf die Zufriedenheit der Athleten/innen und der Einschatzung der Gesundheit aus. Daraus besteht nach dem Modell von Siegrist die Gefahr konsekutiver Gratifikationskrisen, was in einem Ausfall oder zumindest Leistungseinbusen im Wettkampf munden kann. Die unterschiedlichen Belastungen der Athleten/innen der verschiedenen Disziplinen und deren Zusammenhange mit der Gesundheit- und Lebenszufriedenheit verlangen ein nach Belastungen differenziertes Vorgehen in den Sportarten, um praventiv aber auch anhand von Interventionen kontinuierliche Leistungen von Spitzenathleten/innen zu ermoglichen.

The functions of synthetic bone graft substitutes include not only structural support to provide bone healing and osseous ingrowth but also the ability to serve as a local antibiotic delivery system to prevent or treat infections of the spine.The impregnation and antibiotic efficiency of gentamicin and levofloxacin with Healos was investigated in vitro and compared with Healos without an antibiotic additive. These antibiotic-loaded bone graft substitutes were examined without dilution and with 10-fold and 100-fold dilution for activity against spondylodiscitis-causing bacteria on different agar plates using an agar diffusion method.All hydroxyapatite (HA)/collagen-saturated diluted antibiotics showed elliptical inhibition zones on the corresponding agar plates. For both antibiotics, there was a linear correlation between dilution and area of the inhibition zone.The analysis showed that the antimicrobial activity of HA/collagen-saturated antibiotics corresponded to the antimicrobial dilutions. These results should be further analyzed using in vivo studies to determine the remaining antibiotic efficiency after implantation of bone graft substitutes.

Entzundlich-rheumatische Erkrankungen konnen zu Knorpelveranderungen fuhren. Pubmed-Literaturrecherche Die rheumatoide Arthrtitis als Hauptvertreter kann uber degradierende Enzyme zu Knorpelschaden fuhren, Langsschnittstudien existieren keine. Es existieren keine hochwertigen Studien. Nach Expertenmeinung sind entzundlich-rheumatische Erkrankungen als konkurrierende Ursache anzusehen.

This is the fourth in a series of five self-learning modules reviewing biotherapy. The focus of this module is the interleukins, biological response modifiers utilized in the treatment of some cancers.

Hintergrund Haben keimbedingte Knieinfektionen Einfluss auf die Entstehung einer Gonarthrose?

This paper is an analysis of some of the conflicts found in one particular type of research and development organization — a large, high-prestige, full-capability, weapons development laboratory maintained by the U. S. Navy. The conflict situations, which are “unanticipated consequences” (or less important consequences) of bureaucratic decisions, are organized in terms of type of conflict as follows: 1) conflicts between “economy” and the achievement of technical objectives; 2) conflicts arising from the incongruence of subsystem objectives; 3) conflicts of the “sacred-cow” variety; 4) conflicts between headquarters objectives and field-activity objectives; 5) conflicts which involve the loyalties of specialized managers and directors of support activities; 6) conflicts which result from the attempt to unify a research “team” while keeping military elements of the team visible and separate; and 7) conflicts between productivity objectives and creativity objectives. Four recommendations are made for reducing the amount of conflict in military laboratories of the future: 1) increase the scope of authority of the individual project manager; 2) redefine the role of the military personnel in field laboratories, de-emphasizing their support and base-maintenance functions and increasing their tactical and strategic input to the laboratories; 3) transfer some of the functions currently performed in the headquarters (bureaus) to the field-activity level; and 4) modify certain elements in the more traditional organizational structure to implement recommendations 1), 2), and 3).

The first phase of a government R&D laboratory's career guidance program is described. A joint Naval Weapons Center (NWC)-California State Polytechnic College effort, the program is aimed at aiding both the individual and the organization by achieving more effective placement of professional employees through career guidance and counseling. The first phase involved the development of a job description checklist and its use in the functional grouping of jobs held by employees hired four to nine years earlier as junior professionals. Five job types emerged from the study: Analyst, Design and Test-and-Evaluation Engineer, Supervisor-Project Administrator Applied Researcher, and Development Project Engineer. The tendency for persons with different educational backgrounds to pursue each of these job types was examined. Comparisons were also made of the distribution of the job types within the various technical departments at NWC.

(1970). Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry Procedures in the Brewing Laboratory. Proceedings. Annual meeting - American Society of Brewing Chemists: Vol. 28, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting 1970, pp. 5-17.

Three questionnaires were completed by 109 employees of a government RD in another they indicated `actual' and `ideal' levels of risk-taking situations in their organizations; and in the third they indicated to what extent 15 statements about conflicting objective situations were characteristic of their organisations. The answers seemed to indicate that at the government laboratory there were fewer obstacles to creativity than in industry, that risks were taken oftener at the government laboratory than in industry, and that conflicting objective situations differed between the government laboratory and industry.