Integrität und genetische Veränderung von Nutztieren

In discussing problems of genetic engineering animal ethicists frequently use the concept of animal integrity besides the concept of dignity. Integrity in general refers to the physical aspect of bodily intactness. But beyond that, the integrity of an animal comprises also a dynamic and an active-directed aspect. Within the framework of the integrity approach no fundamental difference can be found between genetic modification of farm animals by means of genetic engineering or selective breeding. Nevertheless genetic engineering is of particular importance for animal ethics because it evokes strong public reactions that may lead to a change in our attitude towards animals in our care. In the following text I will argue for this thesis using the example of genetic reduction of an animal’s essential capacities.     

Expression Profiles of ASIC1/2 and TRPV1/4 in Common Skin Tumors

The acid-sensing ion channels ASIC1 and ASIC2, as well as the transient receptor potential vanilloid channels TRPV1 and TRPV4, are proton-gated cation channels that can be activated by low extracellular pH (pH_e), which is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors. However, the role of these channels in the development of skin tumors is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of ASIC1, ASIC2, TRPV1 and TRPV4 in malignant melanoma (MM), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and in nevus cell nevi (NCN). We conducted immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded tissue samples from patients and found that most skin tumors express ASIC1/2 and TRPV1/4. Striking results were that BCCs are often negative for ASIC2, while nearly all SCCs express this marker. Epidermal MM sometimes seem to lack ASIC1 in contrast to NCN. Dermal portions of MM show strong expression of TRPV1 more frequently than dermal NCN portions. Some NCN show a decreasing ASIC1/2 expression in deeper dermal tumor tissue, while MM seem to not lose ASIC1/2 in deeper dermal portions. ASIC1, ASIC2, TRPV1 and TRPV4 in skin tumors might be involved in tumor progression, thus being potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.     

Home Dissolution: What Happens After Separation?

Building a home and creating a family are highly interconnected processes. So what happens to the home when people separate or divorce? This paper addresses this question using both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. Based on an extensive database with socio-economic background data of 42 000 separated Danish couples in 2002, the housing careers of both partners were followed to see how the housing situation of different types of people was affected by the separation. In the qualitative approach, nine interviews with couples who had parted shed light on the emotions and practical problems of dissolving a home: how to decide who should stay? Who should move? What was it like to stay alone in, or to leave, the matrimonial home?     

Konservierungsmittel

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The Energy Concept Adviser—A tool to improve energy efficiency in educational buildings

Educational buildings such as kindergartens, schools and universities display many similar design, operation and maintenance features in most countries. The two most noteworthy similarities amongst these building types are the high energy consumption and the necessity for retrofitting many buildings within this sector. However, studies have shown that during retrofit, energy saving measures are only rarely applied, because the decision-makers lack knowledge of investments and the efficiency of potential energy saving measures. The main goal of the International Energy Agency ECBCS Annex 36 is to provide the educational building decision-makers with sufficient data, information and tools to improve their learning and teaching environments by improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.     

Mikrostruktur und Eigenschaften lichtbogengespritzter Schichten auf Eisenbasis

Microstructure and properties of Fe‐based wire arc sprayed coatings Innovative iron based feedstocks for wire arc spraying are a promising alternative for conventional carbide reinforced feedstocks for wear applications. Recently the main area of research is focused on improving the properties of deposited functional coatings by varying the wire composition. The influence on the crystalline structure and the dimension of the hard phases in the resulting microstructure is of particular interest in this context. The objective of the investigation is to produce coatings with an amorphous phase, submicron and nanocrystalline structure. The forming of the amorphous phase is influenced by high cooling rates of the molten and partly molten particles impinging on the substrate. Thus, the achieved coatings are characterized by high hardness as well as high corrosion and wear resistance. The present paper introduces iron based coatings produced by wire arc spraying. Due to the application of cored wires with a modified alloy composition the forming of an amorphous phase as well as a submicron‐ and nanocrystalline structure is promoted. The filling of the cored wires are based on FeB with a eutectic composition and is varied by adding Cr₃C₂, FeSi, FeCrC and AlMg. The adding of further elements like Cr, C, Si, Al and Mg should improve the forming of the amorphous phase. The deposited coatings are analyzed regarding to the resulting coating properties and phase composition in connection with the composition of the cored wires. XRD‐analysis’ proved that the Fe‐based coatings contain an amorphous phase.