Humboldt University of Berlin

About: Humboldt University of Berlin is a education organization based out in Berlin, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 33671 authors who have published 61781 publications receiving 1908102 citations. The organization is also known as: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Universitas Humboldtiana Berolinensis.

The Effectiveness of European Active Labor Market Policy

Abstract: Measures of Active Labor Market Policy are widely used in European countries, but despite many econometric evaluation studies no conclusive cross-country evidence exists regarding ?what program works for what target group under what (economic and institutional) circumstances??. This paper results from an extensive research project for the European Commission aimed at answering that question using a meta-analytical framework. The empirical results are surprisingly clear-cut: Rather than contextual factors such as labor market institutions or the business cycle, it is almost exclusively the program type that matters for program effectiveness. While direct employment programs in the public sector appear detrimental,wage subsidies and ?Services and Sanctions? can be effective in increasing participants? employment probability.

Combined Analysis of Inherited Polymorphisms in Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 2, Glutathione S-Transferases M1 and T1, Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase, and Cytochrome P450 Enzymes as Modulators of Bladder Cancer Risk

Abstract: Foreign compound-metabolizing enzymes may modify the risk of chemically induced cancer. We wanted to examine enzymes with putative relevance in urinary bladder cancer using molecular genetic analyses of heritably polymorphic enzymes. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT2); glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) M1 and T1; microsomal epoxide hydrolase; and cytochrome P-450 enzymes (CYP) 1A1, 2C19, 2D6, and 2E1 were analyzed in 374 cases and in 373 controls in a hospital-based case-control study in Berlin. Slow acetylation was a significant risk factor in heavy smokers [odds ratio (OR), 2.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–7.4], with the greatest risk noted for the allele NAT2*5B. GSTM1 deficiency was a risk factor independent of smoking and occupation (OR, 1.6; CI, 1.2–2.2). GSTT1 was associated with cancer risk in the nonsmoker subgroup (OR, 2.6; CI, 1.1–6.0). The two amino acid polymorphisms that are known in microsomal epoxide hydrolase were not associated with bladder cancer risk. CYP2D6 activity was rejected as a risk factor by phenotyping and by detailed molecular genetic analyses. CYP2C19 may have a role in bladder cancer risk, but polymorphisms in CYP1A1 and 2E1 had no statistically significant impact. Deficiencies in both NAT2 and GSTM1 failed to show significant synergistic or antagonistic interactions. In conclusion, molecular genetic analysis of a large sample specified the increased bladder cancer risk of those who are deficient in NAT2 and GSTM1; the other traits proved to be of minor impact.

EULAR recommendations for terminology and research in individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis: report from the Study Group for Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract: The Study Group for Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis was established by the EULAR Standing Committee on Investigative Rheumatology to facilitate research into the preclinical and earliest clinically apparent phases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This report describes the recommendation for terminology to be used to define specific subgroups during different phases of disease, and defines the priorities for research in this area. Terminology was discussed by way of a three-stage structured process: A provisional list of descriptors for each of the possible phases preceding the diagnosis of RA were circulated to members of the study group for review and feedback. Anonymised comments from the members on this list were fed back to participants before a 2-day meeting. 18 participants met to discuss these data, agree terminologies and prioritise important research questions. The study group recommended that, in prospective studies, individuals without RA are described as having: genetic risk factors for RA; environmental risk factors for RA; systemic autoimmunity associated with RA; symptoms without clinical arthritis; unclassified arthritis; which may be used in a combinatorial manner. It was recommended that the prefix 'pre-RA with:' could be used before any/any combination of the five points above but only to describe retrospectively a phase that an individual had progressed through once it was known that they have developed RA. An approach to dating disease onset was recommended. In addition, important areas for research were proposed, including research of other tissues in which an adaptive immune response may be initiated, and the identification of additional risk factors and biomarkers for the development of RA, its progression and the development of extra-articular features. These recommendations provide guidance on approaches to describe phases before the development of RA that will facilitate communication between researchers and comparisons between studies. A number of research questions have been defined, requiring new cohorts to be established and new techniques to be developed to image and collect material from different sites.

National rates and regional differences in sensitization to allergens of the standard series : Population-adjusted frequencies of sensitization (PAFS) in 40,000 patients from a multicenter study (IVDK)

Abstract: Sensitization rates to contact allergens vary between centers and are influenced by sex and age. Eliminating the latter 2 factors by standardization of data by age and sex, the present analysis addresses possible differences between centers remaining after elimination of these confounders, and analyzes other factors which might influence rates, e.g., the MOAHL index. Overall standardized rates were well within the range reported in previous studies and may be regarded as representing the rates of the "patch test population" in Central Europe (e.g., nickel sulfate 12.9%, fragrance mix 10.5%, balsam of Peru 7.3%, thimerosal 5.6%). For this analysis, data of those departments which contributed more than 2000 patients, or of those with extreme proportions concerning sex, age and occupational cases were selected. Patients from these 10 departments differed considerably with regard to the items of the MOAHL index and with regard to standardized rates. The items of the MOAHL index proved to be suitable for describing different patch test populations and for explaining some differences between centers. Only 'atopic dermatitis' seems to have little influence on (standardized) rates. Face dermatitis is not yet represented in the MOAHL index, but should be included, together with age > 40 years, in an extended index (acronym: MOAHLFA). Regional allergen exposure (with striking differences between East Germany, West Germany and, to a lesser extent, Austria) seems to have a great influence on the sensitization pattern observed in a department. In addition, sociological factors may influence sensitization rates, which is exemplified by high rates of nickel allergy in a socially defined subgroup. Future studies should focus on these factors, as well as on factors concerning patch test practices and quality control.

Land sparing versus land sharing: Moving forward

Abstract: To address the challenges of biodiversity conservation and commodity production, a framework has been proposed that distinguishes between the integration (“land sharing”) and separation (“land sparing”) of conservation and production. Controversy has arisen around this framework partly because many scholars have focused specifically on food production rather than more encompassing notions such as land scarcity or food security. Controversy further surrounds the practical value of partial trade‐off analyses, the ways in which biodiversity should be quantified, and a series of scale effects that are not readily accounted for. We see key priorities for the future in (1) addressing these issues when using the existing framework, and (2) developing alternative, holistic ways to conceptualise challenges related to food, biodiversity, and land scarcity.