Mining in space could spur sustainable growth.

Growth models with resources and environmental externalities typically assume that planet Earth is a closed economy. However, private firms like Blue Origin and SpaceX have reduced the cost of rocket launches by a factor of 20 over the last decade. What if these costs continue to decline, making mining from asteroids or the moon feasible? What would be the implications for economic growth and the environment? This paper provides stylized facts about cost trends, geology, and the environmental impact of mining on Earth and potentially in Space.

Reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in exhaled air by antiseptic chewing gum: a pilot trial.

Purpose: The dominant route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, through respiratory transmission by aerosols or droplets which can be measured by viral load in exhaled air. Several natural substances have shown antiviral activity. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of a chewing gum containing natural antiseptic ingredients (cinnamon-, peppermint- and lemon-oil, quercetin, spermidine, ginger and ginseng) on viral load in exhalative air in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Digital sustainability: basic conditions for sustainable digital artifacts and their ecosystems.

The modern age has heralded a shift from the industrial society, in which natural resources are crucial input factors for the economy, towards a knowledge society. To date, sustainability literature has treated knowledge-and in particular digital artifacts-mainly as a means to the end of achieving sustainable development. In this conceptual paper, we argue that digital artifacts themselves ought also to be considered as resources, which also need to be sustainable.

[No improved survival rate in severely injured patients by prehospital intubation : A retrospective data analysis and matched-pair analysis].

Background: Training programs for the treatment of trauma patients generally recommend establishing a secure airway if the patient presents with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of less than 9; however, the evidence for its effectiveness is rather sparse. This study analyzed the effect of preclinical intubation on mortality of patients with a GCS <9 in an emergency medical situation.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients who were primarily admitted to a German level 1 trauma center between 2002 and 2012 with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16, a GCS < 9 and primary transport from the site of the accident.

Improved virological and immunological efficacy of resistance-guided switch in antiretroviral therapy: a Frankfurt HIV cohort analysis.

To evaluate the treatment outcome of antiretroviral therapy, depending on the use and utility of a concept of resistance-guided switch, patients from the Frankfurt HIV cohort have been followed for 24 weeks. If available, prior resistance data have been evaluated and patients were grouped into their expected viral response. The data of 354 patients were thus analysed, taking into account the genotypic sensitivity score of the administered medication (> or ≤2).

Quadruple nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors-only regimen of tenofovir plus zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir in heavily pre-treated HIV-1 infected patients: salvage therapy or backbone only?

Background: We investigated the virologic and immunologic responses to a mono-class, nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor - combination therapy consisting of tenofovir and zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir in therapy experienced patients.

Methods: Retrospective study of 122 patients. Primary analysis was performed at 48 weeks.

The LOPSAQ study: 48 week analysis of a boosted double protease inhibitor regimen containing lopinavir/ritonavir plus saquinavir without additional antiretroviral therapy.

Objectives: To evaluate the virological, immunological and clinical responses to the boosted double protease inhibitor (PI) regimen combination of lopinavir/ritonavir and saquinavir ('LOPSAQ') without reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTI) in HIV-positive patients who have few viable RTI treatment options.

Methods: Cohort study of 128 heavily pre-treated patients who were experiencing therapy failure on their current regimen due to RTI resistance and/or systemic toxicities. Patients with PI-resistance mutations or RTI toxicity underwent a structured treatment interruption (STI) (n=76) until virus reverted to wild-type or until resolution of toxicity symptoms.

Impact of tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy on chronic hepatitis B in a cohort co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Objectives: We studied the impact of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, given as an antiretroviral medication, on patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection.

Methods: The polymerase gene-sequence evolution and quantitative HBV loads (HBVL) were observed for 48 weeks in patients taking tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy. The patients were grouped according to baseline strata: high-replicative virus (>6 log copies/mL), low-replicative virus at detectable virus loads (<6 log) and HBs-antigen-positive, HBV-DNA-negative individuals.