Der Wirtschaftsstandort Vorderpfalz im Rhein-Neckar-Dreieck : Standortfaktoren, Neugründungen, Beschäftigungsentwicklung ; Expertise zur vorderpfälzischen Teilregion des Wirtschaftsstandorts "Rhein-Neckar-Dreieck" im Auftrag des Ministeriums fiir Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Landwirtschaft und Weinbau Rheinland-Pfalz

In der vorliegenden Expertise werden die Besonderheiten des rheinland-pfälzischen Teils des Rhein-Neckar-Dreiecks (RND) als Wirtschaftsstandort herausgearbeitet. Grundlage für diese Analyse bildet die im Jahre 1995 vom ZEW durchgeführte Untersuchung "Der Wirtschaftsstandort Rhein-Neckar-Dreieck - Standortprofil und Unternehmensdynamik". Die Untersuchung beschreibt und analysiert die Besonderheiten des zur Planungsgemeinschaft Rheinpfalz gehörenden Teiles des Rhein-Neckar-Dreiecks, der im folgenden mit "Vorderpfalz" bezeichnet wird. Als Vergleichsmaßstab der statistischen Auswertungen dienen das gesamte Rhein-Neckar-Dreieck und teilweise die westliche Bundesrepublik (alte Bundesländer). Der verdichtete Wirtschaftsraum Rhein-Neckar-Dreieck steht im nationalen und internationalen Wettbewerb der Wirtschaftsregionen. In der genannten Studie (Egeln et al., 1996) wurden für den Gesamtraum die Stärken und Schwächen der Region, ihre Beurteilung durch die befragten Unternehmen sowie eine Analyse der Unternehmensdynamik und Beschäftigungsentwicklung durchgeführt, Die vorliegende Expertise bildet hier eine interessante Erweiterung des Blickfeldes auf die interne Struktur des Wirtschaftsraumes, dessen strukturelle Unterscheidungen von den rechtsrheinischen Teilen des Rhein-Neckar-Dreiecks im folgenden kurz beschrieben werden,

EU governments must avoid scapegoating the public sector for Europe’s economic problems

How have different European countries implemented austerity measures since the financial crisis? Andrea Müller, Irene Ramos-Vielba, Werner Schmidt, Annette Thörnquist and Christer Thörnqvist write on developments within four countries: Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. They argue that there is little evidence to suggest that the failure to modernise the public sector in these countries was a key driver in the economic problems caused by the crisis

Effect of daptomycin and vancomycin on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms: An in vitro assessment using fluorescence in situ hybridization

Colonization of in-dwelling catheters by microbial biofilms is a major concern in patient health eventually leading to catheter-related blood stream infections. Biofilms are less susceptible to standard antibiotic therapies that are effective against planktonic bacteria. Standard procedure for the detection of microorganisms on the catheter tip is culture. However, viable but non-culturable cells (VBNCs) may be missed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as an indicator to visualize and quantify the effect of the antibiotics daptomycin and vancomycin on biofilms in situ. We established an in vitro catheter biofilm model of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms on polyurethane catheters. Biofilm activity was measured by FISH and correlated to colony forming units (CFU) data. Digital image analysis was used for quantification of total biofilm mass and the area of the FISH positive biofilm cells. FISH showed a pronounced effect of both antibiotics on the biofilms, with daptomycin having a significantly stronger effect in terms of both reduction of biofilm mass and number of FISH-positive cells. This supports the anti-biofilm capacity of daptomycin. Interestingly, neither antibiotic was able to eradicate all of the FISH-positive cells. In summary, FISH succeeded in visualization, quantification, and localization of antibiotic activity on biofilms. This technique adds a new tool to the arsenal of test systems for anti-biofilm compounds. FISH is a valuable complementary technique to CFU since it can be highly standardized and provides information on biofilm architecture and quantity and localization of survivor cells

Timing and thermal evolution of fold-and-thrust belt formation in the Ultima Esperanza District, 51°S Chile: Constraints from K-Ar dating and illite characterization

K/Ar dating on llite in Upper Cretaceous low-grade metamorphic pelites in the Torres del Paine area was used to set new time constraints on the development of the Patagonian retroarc fold-and-thrust belt (FTB) caused by the subduction of the Antarctic Plate beneath the South American Plate. The combined use of illite crystallinity (Kübler Index), polytype quantification and K/Ar dating of illite fractions (<0.2, <2 and 2-6 µm) allowed to distinguish four distinct periods of illite growth based on their K/Ar ages and degree of regional metamorphism: (1) early Cenomanian (98 Ma) illite crystallization, (2) widespread early Campanian (ca. 80 Ma) diagenetic illite growth under anchizonal metamorphic conditions, (3) a significant period of illite formation in the early Paleocene (ca. 60 Ma), and (4) a late stage of illite growth in the early Eocene (55-46 Ma) under epizonal conditions. The earliest indication for the emergent FTB formation in the hinterland is documented in a metapelitic clast (14-9, <2 µm) within the Upper Cretaceous Cerro Toro conglomerate which yields a K/Ar cooling age of 98.3±1.2 Ma and an epizonal KI value of 0.24 ∆°2Θ. After a certain period of geological quietness an interval of major thrusting and uplift occurred between ca. 60 and 46 Ma. The east dipping Rio Nutria and Rio Rincon thrusts record the onset of thrust and fold activity which can be placed close to 60 Ma. They also mark the frontal thrust towards the less deformed Magallanes foreland basin. In the western part of the internal domain, widespread fault and thrust activity of the frontal wedge and associated thermal overprint continued and is recorded until 46 Ma by K/Ar illite cooling ages. The flexural subsidence that is driven by the thrust sheet loading in the internal domain was responsible for the eastward migration of the foreland depocenter and the rapid increase of sedimentation rate along the monoclinal belt. No Miocene thrusting nor uplift event has been recorded by K/Ar illite dating in the study area