Self-management interventions are a heterogeneous group of interventions that are regarded as important tools for the management of chronic diseases. They consist of a broad range of techniques and are available for a large variety of chronic organic as well as mental conditions or illnesses, which are by definition generally chronic. These interventions aim that the individual concerned takes substantial responsibility for managing the symptoms, treatment, and physical and psychosocial consequences associated with having a chronic medical condition, disability or disease. (...) Alternate terms used in this context, among others, are self-care... (shrink)

Wenn die Therapie an eine Grenze kommt und keine Aussicht auf Heilung besteht, wenn Leiden und Schmerz ubermachtig werden, stellt sich haufig die Frage: "Wie mochte ich sterben?" Dann wird fur immer mehr Menschen der Suizid zum Ausdruck eines selbstbestimmten Sterbens. Hierzu ist in Politik und Gesellschaft eine heftige Debatte entbrannt, besonders um die Frage, ob ein assistierter Suizid vom arztlichen Ethos gedeckt und somit straffrei sein kann. In dieser Publikation diskutieren Politiker, Juristen, Mediziner, Theologen und Ethiker diese Fragen kontrovers (...) und bieten vielfaltige Ansatze fur eine kritische gesellschaftliche Debatte wie auch fur die personliche Urteilsbildung. Ein wichtiger Beitrag zu einem aktuellen Thema - fur Fachleute, Interessierte und Betroffene. (shrink)

By the standard of popular approval, the South African state has no legitimacy, since only whites are enfranchised and blacks are being denationalized. This institutionalized politicization of ethnicity increasingly erodes the efficiency of private and state institutions alike. Enforced ethnic identities without representative leadership undermine proposed liberal arrangements of negotiated power-sharing as well as the government policy of cooptation. In the absence of political democracy, politicized labor relations substitute for restricted mobilization elsewhere. There are three basic responses to this legitimation (...) crisis of the South African state: 1) the radical left response of revolutionary reversal of power 2) the reformist business response of co-optation and 3) the technocratic government response of further political separation with increased economic collaboration. (shrink)

Modal dependence logic was introduced recently by Väänänen. It enhances the basic modal language by an operator = (). For propositional variables p 1, . . . , p n , = (p 1, . . . , p n-1, p n ) intuitively states that the value of p n is determined by those of p 1, . . . , p n-1. Sevenster (J. Logic and Computation, 2009) showed that satisfiability for modal dependence logic is complete for nondeterministic (...) exponential time.In this paper we consider fragments of modal dependence logic obtained by restricting the set of allowed propositional connectives. We show that satisfiability for poor man’s dependence logic, the language consisting of formulas built from literals and dependence atoms using ${\wedge, \square, \lozenge}$ (i. e., disallowing disjunction), remains NEXPTIME-complete. If we only allow monotone formulas (without negation, but with disjunction), the complexity drops to PSPACE-completeness.We also extend Väänänen’s language by allowing classical disjunction besides dependence disjunction and show that the satisfiability problem remains NEXPTIME-complete. If we then disallow both negation and dependence disjunction, satisfiability is complete for the second level of the polynomial hierarchy. Additionally we consider the restriction of modal dependence logic where the length of each single dependence atom is bounded by a number that is fixed for the whole logic. We show that the satisfiability problem for this bounded arity dependence logic is PSPACE-complete and that the complexity drops to the third level of the polynomial hierarchy if we then disallow disjunction.In this way we completely classify the computational complexity of the satisfiability problem for all restrictions of propositional and dependence operators considered by Väänänen and Sevenster. (shrink)

Graphical Abstract2013 marks the 50th annual Drew festival in Uto City, Japan, celebrating the work of University of Manchester botanist, Dr. Kathleen Drew-Baker. Her insight into the reproductive biology of algae was the key to efficient farming of the seaweed “nori” which is a familiar component of Japanese food.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand‐gated ion channels that bring about a diversity of fast synaptic actions. Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome has revealed one of the most‐extensive and diverse nAChR gene families known, consisting of at least 27 subunits. Striking variation with possible functional implications has been observed in normally conserved motifs at the acetylcholine‐binding site and in the channel‐lining region. Some nAChR subunits are particular to neurons whilst others are present in both neurons and muscles. The localization (...) of subunits in non‐synaptic regions suggests novel roles for nAChRs. Genetic and heterologous expression studies have identified a subset of nAChR subunits that are important drug targets while the study of mutants has identified genes functionally‐linked to nAChRs. Future studies using C. elegans offer the prospect of increasing our understanding of the functional diversity of a complex nAChR gene family as well as addressing the role of nAChRs and associated proteins in human disorders. BioEssays 26:39–49, 2004.© 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

The complete sequencing of the genome of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster offers the prospect of detailed functional analysis of the extensive gene families in this genetic model organism. Comprehensive functional analysis of family members is facilitated by access to a robust, stable and inducible expression system in a fly cell line. Here we show how the Schneider S2 cell line, derived from the Drosophila embryo, provides such an expression system, with the bonus that radioligand binding studies, second messenger assays, (...) ion imaging, patch‐clamp electrophysiology and gene silencing can readily be applied. Drosophila is also ideal for the study of new control strategies for insect pests since the receptors and ion channels that many new animal health drugs and crop protection chemicals target can be expressed in this cell line. In addition, many useful orthologues of human disease genes are emerging from the Drosophila genome and the study of their functions and interactions is another area for postgenome applications of S2 cell lines. BioEssays 24:1066–1073, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

The hereditary neurodegenerative disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with childhood onset is one of the most common genetic causes of infant mortality. The disease is characterized by selective loss of spinal cord motor neurons leading to muscle atrophy and is the result of mutations in the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene. The SMN protein has been implicated in diverse nuclear processes including splicing, ribosome formation and gene transcription. Even though the genetic basis of SMA is well understood, it is not (...) clear how defects in these ubiquitous processes result in motor neuron degeneration leaving other tissues unaffected. Recent evidence from animal and cell culture models of SMA points to roles for SMN in neurite outgrowth and axonal transport. Disruption of these functions might be particularly detrimental to motor neurons given their high metabolic demands and precise connectivity requirements, thus providing a possible explanation for the specificity of motor neuron susceptibility in SMA. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of SMN activity in neuronal processes may generate new targets for future therapeutic strategies. BioEssays 27:946–957, 2005. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

Worum geht es? Um eine Aufgabe, die —wie sollte es anders sein?— aus der Gegenwart der Philosophie erwachsen ist. Nicht in dem ebenso üblichen wie ungefáhren Sinn, nach dem sich dies von selbst versteht, sondern wie sie stets ein Reich von wohlunterschiedenen Vernunft-Aufgaben gewesen ist. Das hier geübte Unterscheiden ihrer Gegenwart kennt da einmal ihre anarchischen Ausprágungen, sodann ihre strukturalen, schliefilich ihre analytischen. Diese Dimensionen bilden im ganzen die Spháre des Heute, welche wir als die «Submoderne» bezeichnen; ist dock eine (...) jede darauf angelegt, Grundstellungen der Moderne abzuarbeiten, wie sie sich in den Besinnungs-Gestalten von hermeneutischer, apokalyptischer und funktionaler Prágung entfaltet hatten. (shrink)

(I) V orbestimmung des Themas Der Titel der folgenden Untersuchungen nennt 'Grund' und 'Gegen­ wart' als die maBgeblichen Blickpunkte, auf die hin die friihgriechische Philosophie - ob ausgesprochen oder nicht - sich bei der Entfaltung ihres Gegenstandes und ihrer selbst sammelt. Dadurch wird das Eigen­ tiimliche dieser Philosophie allerdings nicht hinsichtlich ihres Unter­ schieds zu, sondern nur hinsichtlich ihrer Zusammengehorigkeit mit der spateren Philo sophie bezeichnet. Erst aufgrund dieser Zusammen­ gehOrigkeit sowohl der Sache als auch dem Vorgehen nach kann die (...) friihgriechische Philosophie zugleich als die anfangliche begriffen werden. Eben darin aber hat sie im Verhaltnis zu der spateren ihre Auszeichnung; denn sie vollbringt die weitreichendste Bestimmung dessen, was als philosophische Erfahrung und Erkenntnis gelten kann. (2) Die fruhgriechische Philosophie als anfiingliche Aber ist denn die friihgriechische Philosophie so gemeinhin auch die anfangliche? 1m Falle des indischen und chinesischen Denkens gilt dies offenbar nicht. Hier konnte man einwenden, daB dieses Denken zu 1 Unrecht 'Philosophie' genannt wird. Auch abgesehen von grundsatz­ 2 lichen Erwagungen zum 'richtigen' Gebrauch von Namen, notigt jedoch weder die Sagekraft dieses Namens noch sein Gebrauch in der griechischen Sprache zur Einschrankung seiner Anwendung auf abend­ landisch-europaisches Denken. (shrink)

Let us begin—as is fitting—with what is familiar. Now, familiar is by no means what ‘totalizing thinking’ is, but rather what ‘totalitarian’ means. Today this word rings in everyone’s ears, is common in public life—not so much as a descriptive, but more as a defamatory epithet. It brands political systems of our time which not only gave rise to horrifying consequences, but what is more spread terror through their form of domination. Now, rule by means of terror is in fact (...) no recent discovery; new here is rather the technique of the complete penetration of every expression of social life. Were the latter perhaps susceptible in a special way to such penetration? (shrink)