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Purpose: To assess the comparative efficacy and the long-term cost-utility of alternative minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGSs) when combined with cataract surgery in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
Methods: Treatment effects, as measured by the 1-year reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP), were estimated with an adjusted indirect treatment comparison. Evidence from randomized clinical trials was identified for four different MIGS methods. A disease-transition model was developed by capturing clinically relevant POAG stages and the expected natural disease evolution. Outcomes of the disease-transition model were the comparative utility [quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)], cost and cost-utility of included strategies in a lifetime horizon.
Results: Estimated 1-year IOP reductions were: cataract surgery - 2.05 mmHg (95% CI - 3.38; - 0.72), one trabecular micro-bypass stent - 3.15 mmHg (95% CI - 5.66; - 0.64), two trabecular micro-bypass stents - 4.85 mmHg (95% CI - 7.71; - 1.99) and intracanalicular scaffold - 2.25 mmHg (95% CI - 4.87; 0.37). Discounted outcomes from the disease-transition model appraised the strategy of two trabecular micro-bypass stents with cataract surgery in the moderate POAG stage as the one providing the greatest added value, with 10,955€ per additional QALY. Improved outcomes were seen when assessing MIGS in the moderate POAG stage.
Conclusions: When indirectly comparing alternative MIGS methods combined with cataract surgery, the option of two trabecular micro-bypass stents showed both a superior efficacy and long-term cost-utility from a German perspective. Moreover, outcomes of the disease-transition model suggest POAG patients to beneficiate the most from an earlier intervention in the moderate stage contrary to waiting until an advanced disease is present.
In agricultural grasslands, management practice highly determines reproductive success for ground-nesting bird species. The most effective conservation measure is the delay of first mowing dates until broods fledge or bird friendly mowing. Late mowing often implies economical losses for farmers and may increase land use abandonment, which will, in turn, cause habitat deterioration. Thus, grassland bird conservation involves the challenge to protect broods against land use and to promote an appropriate management to sustain habitat quality at the same time. Because of their late and extended breeding season Corncrakes Crex crex are in particular vulnerable to frequent mowing which increases nest destruction, chick mortality and habitat loss.
This thesis aims to gain knowledge on favourable habitat characteristics and brood protection in relation with grassland management to derive implications for the conservation of Corncrake breeding sites in floodplain meadows. Study area is the Lower Oder Valley National Park in northeastern Germany that holds a Corncrake population of 50 to 250 calling males. The study covered two study periods, before (1998-2000) and after (2012-2015) the implementation of new Corncrake conservation measures allowing inferences on the effects of different timing and intensity of mowing for brood protection and habitat conservation.
Breeding was only confirmed on meadows with high forb cover, low sedge cover, low litter heights and a close location to ditches. Radio-tracked females preferred areas with high cover of forbs (> 30%) and a distinct relief heterogeneity, which was associated with increased vegetation diversity. Vegetation characteristics on sites with day calling activity of males showed more similarity with breeding sites than with sites only used for nocturnal calling, supporting the assumption that diurnal calling indicates the occurrence of females. Favoured vegetation structure was best provided by mowing in the preceding year. Low-intensity grazing was less effective in reducing litter and sedge cover, especially when conducted late in the season. In the absence of management, meadows rapidly overgrow and dense litter accumulates from dead plant material in eutrophic floodplains, which increases walking resistance for Corncrakes and may impede prey accessibility. Plant species richness and forb cover declined after land use cessation. Male Corncrakes abandoned calling sites on meadows unmanaged for longer periods.
Besides the availability of suitable nesting sites, food supply and nest predation risk are also related to vegetation structure and may indirectly influence the habitat quality. Faecal samples of Corncrakes consisted mainly of beetles and their larvae, followed by snails, spiders and earthworms. Invertebrate biomass, sampled with pitfall-traps, was twice as high, the numbers of large ground beetles even five times higher on previously unmanaged than on managed meadows. Invertebrate abundance was highest in the first and second years after land use abandonment, but strongly decreased afterwards to a similar level like under annual management. Therefore, unmown refuge strips for Corncrake protection and alternating mowing also enhance invertebrate prey resources in floodplain meadows.
Mammals caused the majority of all observed artificial ground nest predations. Nest predation risk was higher on previously unmanaged than on managed sites. Unmanaged meadows probably attract mammalian predators, because they provide a more favourable vegetation structure for foraging and harbour high numbers of small rodents, increasing also the risk of incidental nest predations. These findings suggest that an annual removal of vegetation, if conducted late in the season to protect grassland birds may reduce predation risk of ground nests in the subsequent year.
Whereas during 1998-2000 half of the study area was managed by the end of July, land use was delayed on meadows occupied by Corncrakes until at least 15 July or 15 August during 2012-2015. On meadows mown between 15 July and 15 August refuge strips were applied. The majority of Corncrake broods were started in the second half of May and mowing postponement until 15 August allows 80% of chicks to fledge without disturbance in the study area. In 65% of broods chicks reach independence (> 14 days old) until 15 July and can be protected by Corncrake friendly mowing because then they are large enough to successfully escape during mowing. Both adults and chicks survived in 10 m wide refuge strips. Because most birds tried to leave the unmown block for the first time when it was up to 30 m wide and only 15 to 30 m wide strips served as temporary habitat for unfledged chicks from mowing to departure, 10 m should be considered as the absolute minimum width for refuge strips.
The strong reduction of land use especially during July should have allowed more chicks to survive until fledging in 2012-2015 than 1998-2000. Besides the protection of nests and higher chick survival, the decline of mowing intensity increased the extent of habitat available for second breeding attempts. In 2012-2015, broods were initiated until late July in the study area. Male Corncrakes showed continuous arrival and departure during the breeding season. Similar departure rates were estimated by a multi-state occupancy model and for radio-tracked males in the same study area and periods, which both left their home ranges spontaneous and due to the impact of mowing. Compared to 1998-2000, total departure of males during June and July was reduced by 50% in 2012-2015, when more calling sites were protected from mowing. Although male Corncrakes show high intra-seasonal dispersal due to their sequential polygamous breeding system, postponed land use should have increased mating opportunities and re-nesting at first breeding sites.
Therefore, future directions of Corncrake conservation in eutrophic floodplains should address the increase of annual late mowing to protect broods and maintain favourable habitat conditions by creating a more flexible mowing regime adjusted to actual occurrence of Corncrakes. This requires expert advice to farmers based on an intense monitoring of calling Corncrakes. Repeated nocturnal surveys during May and June are highly recommended because low detection probability in combination with constant departure substantially underestimated the number of males present. Additionally, diurnal calling activity could improve the identification of breeding sites and timing could be used to estimate chick age in July to select sites for Corncrake friendly mowing. Because currently late mowing dates are unattractive for farmers conservation actions should along with financial compensations for mowing after 15 August promote the utilization of late-cut grass with poor nutrient quality for combustion. Energy production could provide an alternative income for farmers operating in conservation areas with delayed land use dates and will increase their acceptance of Corncrake protection measures.
In 2017, in the Polish-German transborder area of West Pomerania, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Brandenburg, in collaboration with two centers in Warsaw, a partnership in the field of newborn screening (NBS) for severe primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID), mainly severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), was initiated. SCID, but also some other severe PID, is a group of disorders characterized by the absence of T and/or B and NK cells. Affected infants are susceptible to life-threatening infections, but early detection gives a chance for effective treatment. The prevalence of SCID in the Polish and German populations is unknown but can be comparable to other countries (1:50,000–100,000). SCID NBS tests are based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the measurement of a number of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC), kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC), and beta-actin (ACTB) as a quality marker of DNA. This method can also be effective in NBS for other severe PID with T- and/or B-cell lymphopenia, including combined immunodeficiency (CID) or agammaglobulinemia. During the 14 months of collaboration, 44,287 newborns were screened according to the ImmunoIVD protocol. Within 65 positive samples, seven were classified to immediate recall and 58 requested a second sample. Examination of the 58 second samples resulted in recalling one newborn. Confirmatory tests included immunophenotyping of lymphocyte subsets with extension to TCR repertoire, lymphoproliferation tests, radiosensitivity tests, maternal engraftment assays, and molecular tests. Final diagnosis included: one case of T-BlowNK+ SCID, one case of atypical Tlow BlowNK+ CID, one case of autosomal recessive agammaglobulinemia, and one case of Nijmegen breakage syndrome. Among four other positive results, three infants presented with T- and/or B-cell lymphopenia due to either the mother's immunosuppression, prematurity, or unknown reasons, which resolved or almost normalized in the first months of life. One newborn was classified as truly false positive. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) for the diagnosis of severe PID was 50.0%. This is the first population screening study that allowed identification of newborns with T and/or B immunodeficiency in Central and Eastern Europe.
The requirements for new technologies to serve as anticancer agents go far beyond their toxicity potential. Novel applications also need to be safe on a molecular and patient level. In a broader sense, this also relates to cancer metastasis and inflammation. In a previous study, the toxicity of an atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet in four human pancreatic cancer cell lines was confirmed and plasma treatment did not promote metastasis in vitro and in ovo. Here, these results are extended by additional types of analysis and new models to validate and define on a molecular level the changes related to metastatic processes in pancreatic cancer cells following plasma treatment in vitro and in ovo. In solid tumors that were grown on the chorion-allantois membrane of fertilized chicken eggs (TUM-CAM), plasma treatment induced modest to profound apoptosis in the tissues. This, however, was not associated with a change in the expression levels of adhesion molecules, as shown using immunofluorescence of ultrathin tissue sections. Culturing of the cells detached from these solid tumors for 6d revealed a similar or smaller total growth area and expression of ZEB1, a transcription factor associated with cancer metastasis, in the plasma-treated pancreatic cancer tissues. Analysis of in vitro and in ovo supernatants of 13 different cytokines and chemokines revealed cell line-specific effects of the plasma treatment but a noticeable increase of, e.g., growth-promoting interleukin 10 was not observed. Moreover, markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a metastasis-promoting cellular program, were investigated. Plasma-treated pancreatic cancer cells did not present an EMT-profile. Finally, a realistic 3D tumor spheroid co-culture model with pancreatic stellate cells was employed, and the invasive properties in a gel-like cellular matrix were investigated. Tumor outgrowth and spread was similar or decreased in the plasma conditions. Altogether, these results provide valuable insights into the effect of plasma treatment on metastasis-related properties of cancer cells and did not suggest EMT-promoting effects of this novel cancer therapy.
Inflammatory Joint Disease Is a Risk Factor for Streptococcal Sepsis and Septic Arthritis in Mice
(2020)
Septic arthritis is a medical emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality, yet hardly any novel advances exist for its clinical management. Despite septic arthritis being a global health burden, experimental data uncovering its etiopathogenesis remain scarce. In particular, any interplay between septic arthritis and preceding joint diseases are unknown as is the contribution of the synovial membrane to the onset of inflammation. Using C57BL/6 mice as a model to study sepsis, we discovered that Group A Streptococcus (GAS) – an important pathogen causing septic arthritis - was able to invade the articular microenvironment. Bacterial invasion resulted in the infiltration of immune cells and detrimental inflammation. In vitro infected fibroblast-like synoviocytes induced the expression of chemokines (Ccl2, Cxcl2), inflammatory cytokines (Tnf, Il6), and integrin ligands (ICAM-1, VCAM-1). Apart from orchestrating immune cell attraction and retention, synoviocytes also upregulated mediators impacting on bone remodeling (Rankl) and cartilage integrity (Mmp13). Using collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1 × B10.Q F1 mice, we could show that an inflammatory joint disease exacerbated subsequent septic arthritis which was associated with an excessive release of cytokines and eicosanoids. Importantly, the severity of joint inflammation controlled the extent of bone erosions during septic arthritis. In order to ameliorate septic arthritis, our results suggest that targeting synoviocytes might be a promising approach when treating patients with inflammatory joint disease for sepsis.
Human donor milk (HDM) provides appropriate nutrition and offers protective functionsin preterm infants. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of different storage conditions onthe stability of the human breast milk peptidome. HDM was directly frozen at−80◦C or stored at−20◦C (120 h), 4◦C (6 h), or room temperature (RT for 6 or 24 h). The milk peptidome was profiledby mass spectrometry after peptide collection by ultrafiltration. Profiling of the peptidome covered3587 peptides corresponding to 212 proteins. The variance of the peptidome increased with storagetemperature and time and varied for different peptides. The highest impact was observed whensamples were stored at RT. Smaller but significant effects were still observed in samples stored at4◦C, while samples showed highest similarity to those immediately frozen at−80◦C when storedat−20◦C. Peptide structures after storage at RT for 24 h point to the increased activity of thrombinand other proteases cleaving proteins at lysine/arginine. The results point to an ongoing proteindegradation/peptide production by milk-derived proteases. They underline the need for immediatefreezing of HDM at−20◦C or−80◦C to prevent degradation of peptides and enable reproducibleinvestigation of prospectively collected samples.
Bei erwachsenen, stammzelltransplantierten Patienten gibt es derzeit keine epidemiologischen Daten bezüglich der BKPyV-assoziierten hämorrhagischen Zystitis in Deutschland. Deren Assoziation mit anderen klinischen Umständen wie der GvHD wird in der aktuellen Literatur sehr kontrovers diskutiert. Aus diesem Grund wurde eine deutschlandweite Umfrage zur BKPyV-assoziierten hämorrhagischen Zystitis unter Hämatologen und Urologen durchgeführt.
Hierfür wurden zwei Fragebögen entwickelt, einer für Hämatologen und ein Fragebogen für Urologen. Die Befragung befasste sich mit epidemiologischen Daten der Infektion im Allgemeinen, dem klinischem Management und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten. Außerdem wurde deren Verbindung zu anderen Erkrankungen, wie z. B. zu Infektionen im Zusammenhang mit der Stammzelltransplantation erfasst. In die Studie wurden 39 Zentren einbezogen, an denen mindestens fünf allogene Stammzelltransplantationen pro Jahr durchgeführt werden und welche als Mitglieder der EBMT registriert sind. Zwischen Januar und Juni 2016 wurden von den Vertretern der Hämatologie 76.9% und von den Urologen 74,7% der versandten Fragebögen beantwortet. Die BKPyV-assoziierte hämorrhagische Zystitis zeigte eine geringere Inzidenz als in der aktuellen Literatur beschrieben wird. Im Zusammenhang mit dieser Erkrankung wurden in den letzten fünf Jahren sechs Todesfälle gemeldet. Die meisten Hämatologen und Urologen halten die lokale Therapie für die am effektivsten wirksame Behandlungsmöglichkeit, während 50,0% angeben, dass es gar keine orale oder intravenöse Therapieoption gibt. Die Zusammenhänge zu anderen klinischen Umständen, wie z. B. dem Transplantationstyp, der Reaktivierung des CMV, der akuten GvHD, der Nephropathie oder schlechtem klinischen Ergebnis wurden sehr heterogen berichtet. Es zeigte sich eine Diskrepanz zwischen Hämatologen und Urologen in Bezug auf die Assoziation zur akuten GvHD (p=0.004).
Neben der Umfragestudie wurde eine retrospektive Datenanalyse von 64 erwachsenen, erstmalig allogen stammzelltransplantierten Patienten durchgeführt, welche ihre Transplantation zwischen März 2010 und Dezember 2014 an der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald erhielten. Der Beobachtungszeitraum belief sich bis zwei Jahre nach der Stammzelltransplantation. Die akuten Leukämien zeigten sich als häufigste Erkrankung (45.3%). Für die Konditionierung wurden bei 67,2% der Patienten myeloablative und bei 32,8% nicht-myeloablative Protokolle verwendet. Alle Patienten erhielten 10mg Alemtuzumab an Tag -2 (20mg bei HLA-mismatch) zur Prophylaxe einer GvHD. Bei 27 Patienten (41,5%) kam es zu einer Reaktivierung des CMV. Die BKPyV-assoziierte hämorrhagische Zystitis wurde bei zehn Patienten (15,6%) diagnostiziert. Andere durch Viren oder Protozoen verursachte Infektionen traten nur selten auf (<10%). Es zeigte sich kein Zusammenhang zwischen BKPyV oder JCPyV mit einer Reaktivierung von CMV, EBV, HHV6 oder dem Parvovirus B19, welche einer Behandlung bedurft hätten.
Es konnte eine Korrelation der BKPyV-assoziierten hämorrhagischen Zystitis mit der Toxoplasmose gefunden werden (p=0,013). Zusätzlich fand sich das gleichzeitige Auftreten einer Virurie mit BKPyV und JCPyV signifikant mit der Toxoplasmose assoziiert (p=0,047). Sowohl BKPyV als auch JCPyV sind in der retrospektiven Analyse nicht mit einer GvHD, einem Rezidiv oder dem Tod der Patienten assoziiert. Weiterführende prospektive Studien bzw. die Entwicklung klinischer Modellsysteme sind wichtig, um wirksame Therapiemöglichkeiten zu entwickeln. Von ebenso großer Bedeutung ist die weitere Untersuchung der Zusammenhänge zwischen BKPyV bzw. JCPyV mit anderen klinischen Umständen durch prospektive Studien mit exaktem Monitoring der Medikamente sowie des Immunsystems.
Over thousands of years, peatlands around the world have accumulated carbon (C) stocks of global importance. Drainage for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction has transformed many peatlands from long-term sinks into strong sources of carbon dioxide (CO2). Peat extraction is worldwide responsible for about ten percent of drained peatlands and is mainly carried out in northern countries and Eastern Europe. In Belarus, 0.3 Mha of peatlands are drained for peat extraction, which is twelve percent of the country's peatland area. From 2006 to 2013, 21,333 ha of this area have been rewetted to protect these peatlands from fire and further degradation, reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, turn them back into C sinks and promote biodiversity. A further 260,000 ha are no longer used for peat extraction and their rewetting would be a great benefit for nature conservation and climate protection.
Rewetting of abandoned peat extraction areas usually leads to inundation of large areas where not adapted plants die and new species establish, depending on water level and nutrient conditions. Beavers, of which there are many in Belarus, also play an important role in the rewetting of peatlands. They dam up ditches in drained and rewetted peatlands, thus contributing to water level increases and vegetation changes. The aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the impact of inundation on vegetation and GHG emissions in formerly extracted fens in Belarus, to determine the role of water level in this process, and to study whether such fens develop back into C sinks with an almost neutral GHG balance within one or two decades after rewetting (Papers II and III). Also the potential of beaver activities for peatland restoration was assessed (Paper III).
Two very different fens, rewetted after peat extraction, were chosen as study areas. The first one, Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl, is a former flood mire and was rewetted with water from the Jasiel'da River in 1985. During the study period 2010–2012 this site was a shallow lake (~ 1 m deep) dominated by very productive, tall reed. Shallower areas along the edges had a partly floating vegetation cover of cattail (Typha latifolia, T. angustifolia) and sedges (Carex elata, C. vesicaria). The second fen, Barcianicha, is fed by groundwater. Rewetting from 1995 onwards resulted in water levels at or slightly above surface and a lower nutrient availability compared to Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl'. This was reflected in the establishment of mesotrophic communities of Eriophorum angustifolium and Carex rostrata. Phragmites australis stands, which were also dominant here, were shorter and less productive than in Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl'. The southern area of Barcianicha was not used for peat extraction and has not been rewetted. Until 2009 vegetation of this part was characterized by forbs (Urtica dioica) and wet meadows (Agrostis stolonifera). From autumn 2009, a beaver dam in the main drainage ditch caused flooding of these areas and led to diverging vegetation development depending on water levels.
Within the framework of this doctoral thesis annual fluxes of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and the development of water levels and vegetation were monitored for two years at nine sites and evaluated (Papers II and III). Three of the sites, respectively, were located (a) in Giel’cykaŭ Kašyl’, flooded in 1985, (b) in the central area of Barcianicha, which was rewetted in 1995, and (c) in the southern part of Barcianicha, which was flooded by beavers end of 2009. GHG measurements were carried out with manual chambers from August 2010 to September 2012. Annual net CO2 exchange rates (NEE) were modeled based on light response curves of gross primary production (GPP) and on temperature response curves of ecosystem respiration (Reco), which were determined every third to fourth week by alternating measurements with transparent (cooled) and opaque chambers (both with fan) along the daily amplitude of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and temperature. Annual CH4 emissions were calculated mainly based on the temperature response of CH4 fluxes over the course of the year, based on biweekly (in summer) to monthly (in winter) repeated single measurements with opaque chambers (without fan). This was done, although all longer rewetted sites were dominated by aerenchymatic plants whose gas transport during the vegetation period may change over the course of the day and can be influenced by shading. This might apply to the six longer rewetted sites, two of which were dominated by Phragmites australis, and the others by Typha latifolia, Carex elata, Carex rostrata or Eriophorum angustifolium. For these six sites therefore studies on the daily course of CH4 release and the influence of chamber shade were conducted, covering 8–24 hours and lasting at least from sunrise to afternoon. Also the extent to which flux rates were affected by a lack of chamber headspace mixing by fans was investigated in the mentioned studies (Papers I and II).
The daytime course of CH4 emissions showed a pronounced dynamic for Phragmites australis in both fens, with minimum release during the night and maximum during the day (Paper I). The other sites in contrast did not show a significant diurnal CH4 flux dynamic (Paper II). Lack of headspace mixing by fans as compared to chambers with fan resulted in a slight underestimation of CH4 emissions at very high chambers (220 and 250 cm), as used for Phragmites australis in Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl', while there was no difference at lower chambers (≤185 cm), as used for the other sites. Opaque chambers resulted for sites dominated by Typha latifolia and Carex elata in significantly (1.2 times and 1.1 times, respectively) lower CH4 fluxes compared to transparent chambers. For the other sites, opaque chambers did not significantly reduce CH4 emissions. This result was unexpected, especially for Phragmites australis, as PAR out of all parameters tested had the strongest influence on CH4 emissions from both reed sites, and clouds directly led to reduction of their emissions. Presumably the gas flow in the reed shoots located within opaque chambers was maintained by shoots outside the chamber that were connected to the enclosed shoots by rhizomes (Paper I). The investigations showed that single measurements between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. with opaque chambers without fan, as performed for the determination of annual CH4 fluxes, resulted for Carex rostrata and Eriophorum angustifolium in estimates similar to the daily mean, but for Phragmites australis in estimates that were rather above the daily mean. Annual CH4 fluxes from Phragmites australis could therefore be slightly overestimated. CH4 fluxes from Typha latifolia and Carex elata during the vegetation period were corrected by a factor of 1.2, although darkness inside of opaque chambers matters only at day, not at night. Daily and annual CH4 fluxes from these sites have been therefore most likely slightly overestimated, too.
Water saturation and the establishment of adapted vegetation were the most important conditions for the restoration of C sinks (gaseous CO2 and CH4 fluxes) in the investigated peatlands. The only site with falling water levels in summer and thus temporarily aerated peat was the beaver flooded forbs (Urtica dioica) site at Barcianicha. This site was a very strong CO2 emitter and the only significant N2O source of the entire study (Paper III). All other sites were permanently wet, had much lower CO2 emissions or were even net C sinks (Papers II and III). Establishment of adapted vegetation depended on inundation depth and time since rewetting. For example, within one year the meadow site in Barcianicha shallowly flooded by beaver was colonized by Carex rostrata and other adapted helophytes and developed into a CO2 sink, while the deeper flooded site at the same meadow initially attracted only Chara and some individuals of Alisma plantago aquatica and remained a moderate CO2 source. However, the results of the longer rewetted sites show, that also deeply (~ 1 m) flooded fen areas can become densely populated with mire plants in the course of 25 years and develop into net C sinks. Highest annual C uptake in both fens was achieved by the reed sites. Eriophorum angustifolium and Carex rostrata in mesotrophic Barcianicha were smaller C sinks. Typha latifolia and Carex elata in the eutrophic Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl', on the other hand, released CO2, presumably because the high and fluctuating water levels imposed stress to the plants, and because the large supply of nutrients and dead plant material allowed for strong heterotrophic respiration (Paper II). The simultaneously high CH4 emissions made Typha latifolia and Carex elata major sources of GHG. CH4 emissions from Phragmites australis in Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl' were even higher, but due to extremely high CO2 uptake the site was only a small net GHG source. CH4 emissions in Barcianicha were much lower and comparable to undisturbed sedge fens. The difference between Giel'cykaŭ Kašyl' and Barcianicha was mainly due to the different nutrient supply and the related productivity of the plants. Important conclusions are that stable inundation is an appropriate measure for restoration of the C sink of formerly extracted fens, but nutrient input with water needs to be stopped or reduced in order to decrease CH4 production. If this is not possible, establishment of Phragmites australis and other strong C sinks could help to compensate for the climate impact of high CH4 emissions from eutrophic sites.
The effect of the beaver dam on the development of the southern part of Barcianicha depended not only on the initial situation but mainly on the water level. Under optimal conditions, it led to the rapid establishment of adapted mire plants, the restoration of a C sink and a significant reduction of GHG emissions. However, this situation in the shallowly flooded meadow was achieved by chance. In comparison to planned rewetting measures, which aim to raise the water level evenly over the entire peatland, beavers dam ditches in order to improve their immediate habitat, thus influencing water levels only up to a certain distance, but rarely over the entire peatland. Nevertheless, beaver activity is of high value both for mire conservation projects, where existing dams are supplemented by beaver dams, and for abandoned, drained peatlands, like former peat extraction areas in Belarus, many of which at least partially have been rewetted by beavers.
Bats belong to the most gregarious and diverse mammals with highly complex social behaviors. Despite extensive research on their ecology and social behavior in some bat species, gained insights are restricted to only few of the more than 1300 species. In the recent past, bats have also become a central topic of a different branch of research: Since the 1990s bats came to the fore of virologists and immunologists due to the bats’ apparent importance as reservoir hosts and vectors of several (mostly tropical) diseases. While this research is focused mainly on emerging infectious diseases linked to bats, and their zoonotic potential, little has been invested regarding the link between disease transmission and bat social systems.
In my work, I aim at filling this gap by merging automated daily roosting observations, social network analysis, and a virological screening in Natterer’s bats (Myotis nattereri). In a collaborative approach, my co-workers and I analyzed the social structure of individually marked Natterer’s bats, their astrovirus detection rate and transmission pathways within their colony, as well as roosting interactions between different co-occurring con- and heterospecific bat colonies.
We discovered Natterer’s bats to display a very divergent social network structure that contradicts the findings of previous studies on large fission-fusion groups. Contrary to the modular social network structure found in e.g. primates or other bats species, the social network of Natterer’s bats consists of only one highly interconnected community. Moreover, although the close proximity between bat hosts in the colony should strongly promote direct transmission, we found indications that astrovirus infections follow at least partly an indirect transmission pathway via contaminated roost use. Lastly, our results prove that co-occurring con- and heterospecific bat colonies, e.g. as in this study Natterer’s bats, brown long-eared bats and Bechstein’s bats, can influence each other in their roost use by avoiding conspecific roosts and by being attracted towards those of heterospecifics. This holds implication for the transmission of parasites and pathogens within and between different colonies with opportunities for spillovers. To conclude, this multidisciplinary study led to valuable insights in the hitherto hidden mechanisms within and among bat colonies.
Das Neuroblastom ist eine pädiatrische Tumorerkrankung, die ihren Ursprung in undifferenzierten Nervenzellen des sympathischen Nervengewebes hat. Das ereignisfreie 5-Jahresüberleben von Hochrisikopatienten liegt trotz der Einführung neuer gegen das Disialogangliosid GD2-gerichteter Antikörpertherapien weiterhin nur bei ca. 50 %. Daher ist es wichtig, die Biomarker zu finden, die helfen, Patienten zu identifizieren, die bisher noch nicht von den etablierten Therapieansätzen profitieren. In dieser Arbeit wurden immunologische und genetische Parameter untersucht, die möglicherweise als Biomarker für das Ansprechen auf eine GD2-gerichtete Immuntherapie in Kombination mit Interleukin 2 (IL-2) dienen können. Dafür wurde der Einfluss der zytotoxischen NK-Zellen, Granulozyten (Eosinophile und Neutrophile) und regulatorischen T-Zellen (Treg) sowie der Zytokine IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18 und CCL2 auf die antikörperabhängige zelluläre Zytotoxizität (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, ADCC) und dem ereignisfreien Überleben analysiert. Weiterhin wurde die Rolle von patientenspezifischen FCGR2A-H131R und 3A-V158F-Polymorphismen sowie die Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) und KIR-Liganden (KIRL)-Genotypen bei einer Immuntherapie evaluiert.
53 Patienten haben bis zu fünf Zyklen Immuntherapie erhalten. Ein Zyklus beeinhaltete zunächst fünf Tage 6×106 IU/m2/Tag IL-2-Behandlung (Tage 1 - 5), gefolgt von einer Langzeitinfusion von dem anti-GD2-Antikörper ch14.18/CHO (Tage 8 - 18) in Kombination mit 6×106IU/m2/Tag IL-2 (Tage 8 – 12). Die Zahl der Effektorzellen und die Zytokinserumkonzentrationen wurden mittels Durchflusszytometrie ermittelt und die FCGR-Polymorphismen und KIR/KIRL-Genotyp mit einer validierten Real-Time-PCR bestimmt. Die ADCC wurde mittels eines Calcein-AM basierten Zytotoxizitätstest erfasst.
Die IL-2-Monotherapie an den Tagen 1-5 steigerte die Zahl der NK-Zellen, der Treg und der Eosinophilen stark im Vergleich zum Basiswert (Zyklus 1, Tag 1). Die Expansion der Neutrophilen wurde hingegen erst nach dem Start der Antikörperbehandlung beobachtet (Tag 15). IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18 und CCL2 erreichten ihre Spitzenkonzentrationen ebenfalls erst während der Antikörpertherapie. Überraschenderweise korrelierte weder die NK-Zell- noch die Granulozytenzahl mit der ADCC und dem ereignisfreien Überleben der Patienten. Hingegen zeigten Patienten mit einer starken Expansion der Treg signifikant niedrigere IFN-γ-Serumkonzentrationen sowie ein schlechteres ereignisfreies Überleben im Vergleich zu Patienten mit niedriger Treg-Zahl. Außerdem hatten Patienten mit hoher IL-18-Serumkonzentration währender der Antikörpertherapie ein signifikant verbessertes Überleben verglichen mit Patienten mit niedriger IL-18-Serumkonzentration. Zusammenfassend wurde eine starke Induktion der Treg beobachtet, die invers mit der IFN-γ-Serumkonzentration und dem ereignisfreien Überleben der Patienten korrelierte.
Die Patienten mit den hochaffinen FCGR2A-131H- und 3A-158V-Polymorphismen zeigten einen höhere ADCC und ein verlängertes ereignisfreies Überleben gegenüber den Patienten mit den FCGR2A-131R- und 3A-158F-Polymorphismen. Patienten mit aktivierenden KIR (Genotyp B/x), insbesondere dem KIR2DS2, zeigten eine gesteigerte ADCC und ein verlängertes ereignisfreies Überleben verglichen mit den Patienten mit dem inhibitorischen KIR-Genotyp ohne aktivierende KIR (Genotyp A/A). Entsprechend hatten Patienten mit dem vorteilhaften KIR2DS2 und hochaffinen FCGR-Polymorphismen die stärkste Induktion der ADCC und das längste ereignisfreie Überleben im Vergleich zu Patienten mit inhibitorischen KIR-Genotyp und niedrigaffinen FCGR-Polymorphismen. In dieser Arbeit wurde gezeigt, dass KIR- und FCGR2A- und 3A-Genotypen die ADCC sowie das Ansprechen auf eine ch14.18/CHO-basierte Immuntherapie in Kombination mit IL-2 beeinflussen und daher in Zukunft als Biomarker für diese Therapie dienen können.
Schließlich erwiesen sich FCGR-Polymorphismen in Kombination mit der Treg-Zahl als Biomarker zur Identifizierung von Patienten, die kein Ansprechen auf die Immuntherapie gezeigt hat.
Zusammenfassend konnte in dieser Arbeit gezeigt werden, dass immunologische und genetische Parameter als prädiktive Biomarker einer antikörperbasierten Immuntherapie bei Patienten mit Hochrisikoneuroblastom verwendet werden können, um Patienten zu identifizieren, die von der bisherigen Immuntherapie nicht profitieren würden. Für solche Patienten müssen alternative Therapieoptionen angeboten werden um einen schnellen Rückfall der Erkrankung zu verhindern.
Ziel unserer Untersuchungen war es insbesondere, für die Patienten mit einer rheumatologischen Grunderkrankung Faktoren zu finden, welche prognostische Relevanz in Hinblick auf das weitere Überleben aufweisen, und diese für die Patienten mit und ohne PAH zu vergleichen.
Im Rahmen der deskriptiven Betrachtung ließ sich erkennen, dass die von uns erhobenen Daten der Patienten mit einer PAH auch im internationalen Vergleich mit ähnlichen Patientengruppen keine großen Abweichungen in den Untersuchungsergebnissen zeigten. Auch im Hinblick auf das Überleben reihten sich unsere Ergebnisse in die Vergleichsdaten ein.
Mit Blick auf den Vergleich der 3 Gruppen - mit PAH, mit grenzwertig erhöhtem mPAP und ohne PAH - stellten wir fest, dass zwar die Patienten mit PAH gegenüber den Patienten ohne diese Erkrankung in vielen Parametern schlechtere Werte aufwiesen, jedoch konnte diese Tendenz für die mittelständige Gruppe nicht durchweg bestätigt werden. Hier ist jedoch noch einmal darauf hinzuweisen, dass die Gruppe mit grenzwertig erhöhtem mPAP (21 bis 24 mmHg) in unserer Arbeit nur durch 7 Patienten vertreten war und damit in ihrer Aussagekraft stark eingeschränkt ist.
In der univariaten Analyse zeigte sich eine Vielzahl an signifikanten Prognoseparametern in der Gesamtgruppe. Insbesondere die spiroergometrische Untersuchung, aber auch die Untersuchung der Lungenfunktion und die Echokardiographie wiesen Werte auf, die für die Prognose der Patienten in der Gesamtgruppe eine signifikante Vorhersagekraft hatten.
In der spiroergometrischen Untersuchung konnten hier unter anderen Werten der VO2max-Wert und die Werte der ventilatorischen Effizienz (EqCO2 und PETCO2) sowie Belastungsdauer und RRsys/dia bestätigt werden, die schon in vorherigen Studien prognostische Relevanz zeigten.
Hämodynamisch zeigten sich außer PVR, TPG, ZVD, PAP und SAP auch die Blutgasanalysen mit venSO2, artSO2 und artpO2 bedeutsam. Lungenfunktionsuntersuchung und Echokardio-graphie zeigten Signifikanzen für die Parameter VC, FVC, FEV1, PEF, MEF 75/50, RV/TLC und die Diffusionskoeffizienten TLCO und KCO, sowie TAPSE, RVEDD, LVESD und sysΔPmax.
Die Laborparameter ließen keine Aussage über die weitere Prognose zu.
Aus der Vielzahl der Prognoseparametern in der univariaten Analyse konnte lediglich der mPAP als unabhängiger prognostischer Parameter auch in der multivariablen Analyse bestehen.
Im Rahmen der ROC-Analyse zeigte sich für unsere Patienten als optimaler Grenzwert für die weitere Differenzierung des Überlebens ein mPAP von 24 mmHg.
Auch wenn die Abweichung von dem bisher gültigen Grenzwert von 25 mmHg für die Diagnose einer pulmonalen Hypertonie nur gering ist, so ist dies doch als Hinweis zu werten, dass gerade bei risikobelasteten Patientengruppen auch grenzwertige mPAP-Erhöhungen ernst genommen werden sollten.
Entsprechend der aktuellen Empfehlungen sehen wir darin einen weiteren Hinweis, dass gerade bei Patienten mit Kollagenosen/rheumatoider Arthritis engmaschige Kontrollen erfolgen sollten, um einen frühen Therapiebeginn zu ermöglichen und so die Mortalität zu senken.
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can secrete a broad range of virulence factors, among which staphylococcal serine protease-like proteins (Spls) have been identified as bacterial allergens. The S. aureus allergen serine protease-like protein D (SplD) induces allergic asthma in C57BL/6J mice through the IL-33/ST2 signaling axis. Analysis of C57BL/6J, C57BL/6N, CBA, DBA/2, and BALB/c mice treated with intratracheal applications of SplD allowed us to identify a frameshift mutation in the serine (or cysteine) peptidase inhibitor, clade A, and member 3I (Serpina3i) causing a truncated form of SERPINA3I in BALB/c, CBA, and DBA/2 mice. IL-33 is a key mediator of SplD-induced immunity and can be processed by proteases leading to its activation or degradation. Full-length SERPINA3I inhibits IL-33 degradation in vivo in the lungs of SplD-treated BALB/c mice and in vitro by direct inhibition of mMCP-4. Collectively, our results establish SERPINA3I as a regulator of IL-33 in the lungs following exposure to the bacterial allergen SplD, and that the asthma phenotypes of mouse strains may be strongly influenced by the observed frameshift mutation in Serpina3i. The analysis of this protease-serpin interaction network might help to identify predictive biomarkers for type-2 biased airway disease in individuals colonized by S. aureus.
Abstract
Introduction
Transabdominal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used for the examination of the pancreas in clinical routine. We therefore were interested in the concordance of these two imaging methods for the size measurement of the pancreas and how age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) affect the organ size.
Methods
A total of 342 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania underwent whole‐body MRI and transabdominal US on the same day, and the diameter of the pancreatic head, body, and tail were measured. The agreement between US and MRI measurements was assessed by Bland and Altman plots. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compare observers. A multivariable regression model was applied using the independent variables age, gender, and body mass index.
Results
Compared to MRI, abdominal US returned smaller values for each segment of the pancreas, with a high level of inconsistency between these two methods. The mean difference was 0.39, 0.18, and 0.54 cm for the head, body, and tail, respectively. A high interobserver variability was detected for US. Multivariable analysis showed that pancreatic size in all three segments increased with BMI in both genders whereas pancreatic head and tail size decreased with age, an effect more marked in women.
Conclusions
Agreement of pancreatic size measurements is poor between US and MRI. These limitations should be considered when evaluating morphologic features for pathologic conditions or setting limits of normal size. Adjustments for BMI, gender, and age may also be warranted.
The transcriptome of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) species is increasingly focused in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. NcRNAs comprise, among others, transfer RNAs, long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs (miRs), each with their own specific biological function. We used smallRNASeq to assess miR expression in the hippocampus of young (3 month old) and aged (8 month old) Tg4-42 mice, a model system for sporadic AD, as well as age-matched wildtype controls. Tg4-42 mice express N-truncated Aβ4–42, develop age-related neuron loss, reduced neurogenesis and behavioral deficits. Our results do not only confirm known miR-AD associations in Tg4-42 mice, but more importantly pinpoint 22 additional miRs associated to the disease. Twenty-five miRs were differentially expressed in both aged Tg4-42 and aged wildtype mice while eight miRs were differentially expressed only in aged wildtype mice, and 33 only in aged Tg4-42 mice. No significant alteration in the miRNome was detected in young mice, which indicates that the changes observed in aged mice are down-stream effects of Aβ-induced pathology in the Tg4-42 mouse model for AD. Targets of those miRs were predicted using miRWalk. For miRs that were differentially expressed only in the Tg4-42 model, 128 targets could be identified, whereas 18 genes were targeted by miRs only differentially expressed in wildtype mice and 85 genes were targeted by miRs differentially expressed in both mouse models. Genes targeted by differentially expressed miRs in the Tg4-42 model were enriched for negative regulation of long-term synaptic potentiation, learning or memory, regulation of trans-synaptic signaling and modulation of chemical synaptic transmission obtained. This untargeted miR sequencing approach supports previous reports on the Tg4-42 mice as a valuable model for AD. Furthermore, it revealed miRs involved in AD, which can serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Rekombinante Vektorvakzinen, basierend auf Viren der Newcastle-Krankheit (NDV) haben sich als kostengünstig, schnell herstellbar und sicher für die Applikation bei Geflügel und Säugetieren erwiesen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden zwei rekombinante Vakzineviren, die das lentogene NDV Clone 30 als Vektor nutzen, für die Prävention der hochpathogenen aviären Influenza (HPAI) bei Hühnerküken, die maternale aviäre Influenzavirus-spezifische Antikörper (AIV-MDA) aufweisen, und die Pest der kleinen Wiederkäuer (PPR) bei Ziegen evaluiert.
Während bekannt ist, dass rekombinante NDV/AIV-H5-Vakzineviren in spezifisch pathogenfreien Eintagsküken eine protektive Immunantwort induzieren, ist diese bei Küken in HPAI-Endemiegebieten meist durch vorhandene AIV-MDA negativ beeinflusst. Durch die Generierung einer NDV-Rekombinanten (rNDVsolH5_H5), die das HA des HPAIV H5N1 von zwei individuellen Fremdgenen exprimiert, konnte eine Überexpression des H5 und in Folge der okulonasalen Immunisierung von zwei- und drei-Wochen-alten AIV-MDA+-Küken die Überwindung der AIV-MDA und die Bildung von wirtseigenen AIV-H5-spezifischen Antikörpern erreicht werden. Die in Folge einer HPAIV H5N1-Belastungsinfektion vermittelten Protektionsraten beliefen sich auf 85 % bei zwei-Wochen-alten und auf 100 % bei drei-Wochen-alten Hühnern, deren Ausscheidung des virulenten Wildtypvirus im Vergleich zu Kontrolltieren signifikant reduziert war. Auch wenn das rekombinante Impfvirus in ein-Wochen-alten AIV-MDA+-Küken replizieren konnte, weist die Schutzrate von 40 % darauf hin, dass die Immunisierung sehr junger AIV-MDA+-Küken nicht zu empfehlen ist.
Die subkutane Immunisierung von Ziegen mit dem rekombinanten Vektorvirus rNDV_HKur, das das Hämagglutinin des Morbillivirus der kleinen Wiederkäuer (small ruminant morbillivirus, PPRV) exprimiert, schützte diese vor einer virulenten Wildtypvirus-Infektion. Nach zweimaliger Applikation wurden, wie nach der Impfung mit einer atttenuierten PPRV-Lebendvakzine, weder Erkrankungszeichen beobachtet noch eine hämatogene Streuung und nur geringgradige Replikation bzw. Ausscheidung des PPR-Wildtypvirus nachgewiesen, was auf die Bildung PPRV-neutralisierender Antikörper nach der Immunisierung zurückzuführen ist. Somit konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich das rekombinante NDV/PPRV-H für die Prävention der PPR bei Ziegen eignet. Mit NDV als Vektorvirus konnten nachweislich die Anforderungen sowohl bezüglich der DIVA-Applikation als auch einer hohen Thermostabilität erreicht werden.
Um NDV als Vektorvirus gezielt zu verändern bzw. für dessen unterschiedliche Anwendungen zu verbessern, ist es von Vorteil die Funktion der einzelnen viralen Proteine zu kennen. Mit dem erstmaligen Nachweis der Expression des W-Proteins können nun mit Hilfe des generierten W-spezifischen Peptidantiserums weitere in-vitro- und in-vivo-Analysen erfolgen, um dessen Funktion im viralen Replikationszyklus näher zu untersuchen.
Der rundblättrige Sonnentau (Drosera rotundifolia L.) ist typisch für nährstoffarme Hochmoore und nimmt eine besondere Rolle im Moor-Ökosystem ein. Die Pflanzenart gilt in vielen europäischen Ländern als gefährdet bzw. stark gefährdet. Ihre Gefährdung lässt sich auf drei Ursachen zurückführen:
1) Seit Jahrzehnten führt die Bewirtschaftung der europäischen Moore und die damit einhergehende Entwässerung und Düngung zu einem deutlichen Rückgang der von Drosera-Arten bevorzugten oligotrophen, nassen und sauren Standorte.
2) Bereits im Mittelalter waren Drosera-Arten als Heilpflanzen bekannt und wurden hauptsächlich zur Behandlung von Atemwegserkrankungen (Asthma, Bronchitis, Keuchhusten etc.) eingesetzt.
3) Obwohl seit den 1920er Jahren bereits immer wieder Kultivierungsversuche mit Drosera-Arten durchgeführt wurden, konnte bisher keine Methode für den großflächigen Anbau von Sonnentau realisiert werden, um die von der Pharmaindustrie benötigten Mengen des Drosera-Rohstoffs zu produzieren. Daher werden bis heute europäische und nicht europäische Drosera-Arten immer noch in großen Mengen in natürlichen Mooren gesammelt.
Die zunehmende Zerstörung der natürlichen Moore und die Sammlung für arzneiliche Zwecke stellen zusammen eine ernsthafte Bedrohung für den Erhalt von D. rotundifolia dar. Die Torfmooskultivierungsflächen in Deutschland sind in vieler Hinsicht vergleichbar mit intakten Hochmooren. Das nährstoffarme Milieu der kultivierten Torfmoose dient als Lebensraum für heimische Drosera-Arten, wie Drosera rotundifolia L. und Drosera intermedia Hayne. Daher bieten diese Kulturflächen eine neue Alternative für den Anbau von Drosera-Arten.
In vier Studien wurde die Eignung von Torfmoosrasen für den Drosera-Anbau untersucht, mit Schwerpunkt auf den Anbau von Drosera rotundifolia auf Torfmoos- kultivierungsflächen. In der ersten Studie wurde das Wissen über die Morphologie, Verbreitung, Ökologie, Reproduktion, Nutzung, den Schutz und den Anbau von D. rotundifolia erstmals zusammenfassend diskutiert, um eine wissenschaftliche Grundlage für einen erfolgreichen Anbau auf Torfmoosrasen zu schaffen. Basierend auf diesen Kenntnissen konzentriert sich die zweite Studie auf die Keimfähigkeit von D. rotundifolia und die Überlebensrate von jungen Drosera-Pflanzen auf Torfmoosrasen unter natürlichen, naturnahen und künstlichen Bedingungen. Die dritte Studie fokussiert auf den Gehalt pharmakologisch wirksamer Inhaltsstoffe angebauter und „wild wachsender“ D. rotundifolia- sowie D. intermedia-Pflanzen auf Torfmooskultivierungsflächen. Die vierte Studie untersucht die Biomasseproduktivität und den Ertrag, d. h. den Biomasseanteil der geerntet wird, von beiden o. g. Drosera-Arten auf Torfmooskultivierungsflächen.
Die generierten Daten und Erkenntnisse der vier Studien wurden in vier wissenschaftlichen Artikeln zusammengefasst, wovon zwei bereits veröffentlicht und zwei eingereicht sind.
Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse dieser Studien sind die Folgenden:
I) Drosera rotundifolia ist sehr stark mit Sphagnum-dominierten Pflanzengemeinschaften verbunden, welche durch Entwässerung europaweit zurückgegangen bzw. verschwunden sind. Dadurch ist D. rotundifolia in den meisten europäischen Ländern eine seltene und geschützte Pflanzenart geworden.
II) Verschiedene Drosera-Arten, u. a. D. rotundifolia, D. intermedia, D. anglica und D. madagascariensis, werden immer noch von Pharmaunternehmen verwendet. Die Pflanzen werden in der freien Natur gesammelt, weil deren Anbau zeitaufwendig und (noch) nicht effizient ist. Daher ist die Entwicklung von Anbaumethoden erforderlich.
III) Die selbstentwickelte „Torf-Gefäß-Methode“ ergab sich als die meist geeignete Drosera-Anbau-Methode durch das spezielle Mikroklima des Sphagnum- Rasens, das konkurrenzarme Milieu und den permanent nassen Sphagnum- Torf in den Pflanzgefäßen.
IV) In den Feldversuchen wurden bei der Aussaat sehr niedrige Keimungsraten < 1 % registriert. Deshalb sind für den Anbau mit Aussaat große Mengen an Samen erforderlich.
V) Die Entfernung von Gefäßpflanzen zeigte im ersten Jahr eine positive Korrelation mit der Anzahl der Drosera-Keimlinge und führte im zweiten Jahr zu einer höheren Anzahl überlebender Drosera-Pflanzen.
VI) Auf Torfmooskultivierungsflächen wachsende Drosera-rotundifolia-Pflanzen wiesen eine 7- bis 8-mal höhere Konzentration von 7-Methyljuglon auf als D. madagascariensis, die hauptsächlich für ‘Droserae herba’ verwendet wird.
VII) Für Drosera rotundifolia gab es bezüglich der Tageszeit keine signifikanten Unterschiede in den Konzentrationen bioaktiver Inhaltsstoffe. Dies bedeutet, sie kann ganztägig zwischen 7 und 16 Uhr gesammelt werden. Die höchsten Konzentrationen bioaktiver Inhaltsstoffe wurden für D. rotundifolia und D. intermedia bei 13 bis 24 Monate alten blühenden Pflanzen festgestellt
VIII) Im Vergleich zu natürlichen Mooren Mittel- und Nordeuropas, zeigte D. rotundifolia auf den Torfmooskultivierungsflächen eine 3-34 Mal höhere Biomasseproduktivität (275 kg ha-1 a-1) und einen 2-21 Mal höheren Ertrag (214 kg ha-1 a-1).
IX) Der höchste Ertrag von D. rotundifolia und D. intermedia wurde im Juli und August dokumentiert. In diesen Monaten erreichen die Pflanzen ihr höchstes Gewicht. Auf Torfmooskultivierungsflächen erreichte D. rotundifolia einen viermal höheren Ertrag als D. intermedia. Deshalb ist D. rotundifolia für den Anbau zu bevorzugen.
X) Für eine langfristige nachhaltige Produktion von Drosera wird die Ernte von mindestens 12 Monate alten Pflanzen empfohlen.
Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war die Entwicklung und Validierung eines pla-nimetrischen MRT-Messprotokolls zur Erhebung von Normwerten für das menschli-che Bulbusvolumen und die Sulcustiefe in der deutschen Bevölkerung. Neben der Häufigkeitsangabe zum Vorkommen von Bulbusaplasien wurden ferner Seitendis-krepanzen sowie eine mögliche Beeinflussung durch das Alter und Geschlecht un-tersucht. Aus vorhergehenden Untersuchungen ist bekannt, dass das Bulbusvolu-men und die Sulcustiefe in direktem Zusammenhang mit dem Riechvermögen ste-hen. Aufgrund der starken Prävalenz von Riechstörungen in der Bevölkerung wurden die Strukturen weiterhin auf einen möglichen morphologischen Zusammenhang mit dem Vorkommen von Stirn- und Kieferhöhlenverschattungen analysiert.
Für die Auswertung mittels der Bildbetrachtungssoftware OsiriX standen 250 MRT-Datensätze der SHIP-Studie zur Verfügung.
Mit Volumina von 10,8 mm³ bis 251,2 mm³ und einer Standardabweichung von 44,9 mm³ erwies sich der BO als äußerst variabel. In zwei Fällen konnte eine linksseitige Aplasie beobachtet werden. Die Sulcustiefe unterlag mit Messwerten von 0,14 mm bis 13,87 mm und einer SD von 1,71 mm ebenso großen Schwankungen. Die ermit-telten Normwerte des BO (104,6 mm³, SD = 44,9 mm³) und des SO (8,39 mm, SD = 1,71 mm) sind vergleichbar mit den Ergebnissen aus Untersuchungen von Bur-meister et. al und Rombaux et al. (Burmeister et al. 2011d; Rombaux et al. 2010). Die statistische Analyse zeigte, dass das Bulbusvolumen unabhängig von Seite, Alter und Geschlecht ist. Auf die Sulcustiefe dagegen wirken mehrere Einflussfaktoren. Der SO auf der linken Seite war um durchschnittlich 0,47 mm signifikant flacher als auf der rechten Seite. Zudem konnte mit zunehmendem Alter eine Abflachung der Sulcustiefen nachgewiesen werden. Männer verfügten über durchschnittlich 0,71 mm signifikant flachere Sulci als Frauen. Ferner wurde untersucht, ob Stirn- und Kiefer-höhlenverschattungen als Einflussfaktoren auf den SO und BO wirken. Männer wie-sen signifikant häufiger Verschattungen der Stirnhöhlen auf als Frauen. Auf das Bul-busvolumen bewirkten Verschattungen jedoch keine Veränderung.
Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde eine standardisierte Methode vorgestellt, die es ermöglicht, den BO und SO quantitativ zu analysieren. Die Tiefenmessung des SO erwies sich als reliabel und ist geeignet um im Klinikalltag angewendet zu werden. Ebenso wie die Tiefenmessungen des SO in einer definierten Ebene erfolgten, wur-den für die planimetrischen Bulbusmessungen die Lage und Begrenzung des BO präzise beschrieben. Das hier entwickelte Messprotokoll kann als Anleitung für wei-tergehende Untersuchungen dienen. Perspektivisch kann zur Erleichterung und Ver-kürzung der aufwendigen und zeitintensiven Vermessungen des BO das vorgestellte Messprotokoll als Grundlage für eine semiautomatische Methodik genutzt werden. Außerdem kann geprüft werden, ob die Messungen in 3T-MRTs und in T1- und T2-Wichtung leichter fallen.
Die Vergleiche mit anderen Arbeiten lassen aufgrund der Probandenauswahl, deren geringeren Probandenanzahl und der abweichenden Vorgehensweisen bei den Mes-sungen nur bedingt Schlussfolgerungen zu. Daraus resultierend existieren bisher keine einheitlichen Normwerte für den BO und SO. Aus den Ergebnissen der vorlie-genden Arbeit ergeben sich neue Anreize für künftige Studien, die sich mit phyloge-netischen Aspekten befassen könnten. Weiterhin sollte der Frage nachgegangen werden, ob bei neurodegenerativen, psychischen und internistischen Krankheiten abweichende Werte für den BO oder SO beobachtet werden können und inwiefern das Maß der Abweichung als prognostisches Instrument genutzt werden kann. An-hand der vorliegenden Untersuchung kann zudem keine Aussage getroffen werden, inwiefern sich symptomatische Verschattungen der Stirn- und Kieferhöhlen von asymptomatischen Verschattungen hinsichtlich des Bulbusvolumens und der Sulcus-tiefe unterscheiden. Weiterführende Studien sollten deshalb neben der klinischen Relevanz auch den Zustand der gesamten Nasennebenhöhlen, insbesondere der Siebbeinzellen, betrachten, um zu überprüfen, ob dortige Veränderungen den BO oder SO beeinflussen.
In der vorliegenden monozentrischen randomisierten kontrollierten cross-over Studie wurde der Einfluss der Länge sowie der Anpressdruck von drei speziellen zweikomponenten-Kompressionsstrümpfen untersucht. Ein reiner UnterschenkelKompressionsstrumpf vom Typ AD (Anpressdruck 37 mmHg) wurde mit zwei Varianten des Unterschenkel- und Oberschenkel-Kompressionsstrumpf-Typs AG(Anpressdruck 37 mmHg und 45 mmHg) verglichen. Ausgewertet wurden die Daten von 16 Patienten mit einer CVI im Stadium C3–C6, hinsichtlich der Hämodynamik, der Entstauung, der Lebensqualität und des Tragekomforts. Die Tragephase mit jedem der drei Kompressionsstrümpfe dauerte eine Woche, gefolgt von einer Woche Pause zwischen den Tragephasen. Die Hämodynamik wurde mittels Dehnungsstreifenplethysmographie und die Beinvolumenänderung mittels Bodytronic 600 bestimmt. Die Lebensqualität und der Tragekomfort wurden mittels Fragebogen am Ende jeder Tragephase bewertet.
Anhand der ausgewerteten Daten spielt die Länge der Kompressionsstrümpfe eine sehr wichtige Rolle hinsichtlich der hämodynamischen Wirkung und der Entödematisierung der Beine. Mit den AD Kompressionsstrümpfen trat eine Zunahme des Beinvolumens am Oberschenkel häufiger auf. Missempfindungen an den Noppen des proximalen Unterschenkels aufgrund eines ödematösen Oberschenkels mit AD Kompressionsstrümpfen konnten in dieser Studie mit AG Kompressionsstrümpfen vermieden werden. Häufige Beschwerden der Patienten mit CVI, wie Schweregefühl, Spannungsgefühl und Ödemen (Rabe, et al., 2003a) konnten die Probanden im Alltag nicht beeinträchtigen. Die neuen AG Kompressionsstrümpfe (AG45 und AG 37)zeigten beide sehr gute Ergebnisse bezüglich der Hämodynamik und können daher die therapeutische Effektivität des schon bekannten Kompressionsstrumpf-Standards AD weiter optimieren. Sie bewirken eine bessere venöse Drainage am gesamten Bein und ergleich zu dem AD-Kompressionsstrumpf ohne den Tragekomfort und die Lebensqualität im Alltag zu beeinträchtigen.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Argon Plasma Quelle „MiniJet-R“ von HHF-Elektronik, Aachen, auf ihre Eignung als medizinischer CAP-Generator und ihre Emission von UVC-Strahlung und NO2 untersucht. Dabei wurde die Emission von UVC-Strahlung auf ihre Abstandsabhängigkeit und ihre Winkelverteilung vermessen. Die UVC-Intensität nimmt im für Entfernungen bis ca. einer Plasmaflammenlänge weniger schnell als 1/r² ab. Erst ab Entfernungen die ca. zwei Plasmaflammenlängen entsprechen nimmt die UVC-Intensität mit 1/r² ab. Die Intensität ist über alle Winkel gleich verteilt, bis eine durch den apparativen Aufbau der Quelle bedingte Abschattung bei Winkeln ab 85° einsetzt. Weiter wurde die Abhängigkeit der UVC-Intensität von den Betriebsparametern Argon Gasdurchfluss und Power Level untersucht. Dabei wurde gezeigt, dass die UVC-Intensität mit steigendem Gasdurchfluss abnimmt. Bei der Charakterisierung der Power Level – Abhängigkeit zeigte sich, dass die UVC-Intensität bei Power Level 3 ein Minimum hat. Zur näheren Bestimmung der UVC-Strahlung des Plasmas wurde das Spektrum des Plasmas von 168nm bis 275nm aufgenommen. Durch den Vergleich des gemessenen Spektrums und eines berechneten NO-Spektrums konnte NO als Hauptquelle der UVC-Strahlung nachgewiesen werden. Mittels Chemilumineszens-Messung konnte außerhalb des Plasmas NO2 als verbleibende Komponente identifiziert werden, während NO nur in vernachlässigbaren Konzentrationen außerhalb des Plasmas nachweisbar war. In weiteren Messungen wurde die NO2-Erzeugung des Plasmas in Abhängigkeit der Betriebsparameter Gasdurchfluss und Powerlevel sowie die NO2-Konzentration in der Raumluft in Abhängigkeit vom Abstand und von der Richtung zum Plasma bestimmt. Dabei wurde nachgewiesen, dass bei ausreichendem Abstand zum Plasma die NO2-Konzentration unterhalb des Arbeitsplatzgrenzwertes liegt. Unter ungünstigen Betriebsbedingungen und in unmittelbarer Umgebung konnten allerdings auch erheblich höhere Konzentrationen festgestellt werden. Die gemessenen UVC-Intensitäten und NO2-Konzentrationen werden mit den geltenden Maximalwerten unter dem Aspekt der Arbeitsplatzsicherheit verglichen. Abschließend erfolgt eine Beurteilung der CAP-Quelle „Minijet-R“ und eine Beschreibung einer idealen CAP-Quelle.
Research on the science and the fiction of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has been ongoing for more than five decades. Today, packed column SFC promises speedy solutions to chiral and semi-preparative separation problems, but academia has been reluctant to incorporate SFC into its curriculum, as doubts linger concerning its practicability. This work sought to explore the merits of SFC in hyphenation with electrospray ionization--single quadrupole mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in various aspects of medicinal chemistry and bioanalysis within an academic setting.
SFC was investigated for its usefulness in assessing the purity and the stability of synthesis products, and the quantification of chiral and achiral metabolites - domains conventionally occupied by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Confronted with analytes prone to hydrolysis (cyclic polysulfides) and UV-induced configurational changes (aza-stilbenes), fast elution by water-free SFC-MS proved complementary to traditional chromatographic techniques.
The quantification of antidepressant ketamine metabolites presented an opportunity to assess supercritical fluid techniques within a bioanalytical context. While SFC hyphenated to single quadrupole MS did not reach the sensitivity levels of HPLC coupled to triple quadrupole MS/MS, exploitation of supercritical CO2 reduced analysis times more than six-fold (60 minutes by HPLC vs 10 minutes by SFC). When coopted for both extraction and analysis, SFE-SFC-MS simplified sample preparation and promoted the transition from off- to on-line bioanalysis. Similar results were obtained when SFC was applied to acidic and basic metabolites of the controversial anodyne flupirtine. Again, SFC featured shorter run times but also expanded the target metabolite spectrum covered within one run.
Finally, a tiered approach to validation demonstrated the reliability achievable by SFC. Critical applications such as quantification of the newly approved antidepressant ketamine or the recently withdrawn analgesic flupirtine were comprehensively validated according to guidelines on bioanalytical method validation by the European Medicines Agency. Notably, this included the first fully validated chromatographic methods for the putative antidepressant (2R,6R)-6-hydroxynorketamine, and the first report of EMA-conforming quantification by on-line SFE-SFC-MS from urine.
Separation scientists find themselves confronted with diverse problems and tools. Although parsing only a microscopic subsection of the available chemical and analytical space, the results obtained here suggest SFC to be a fast and versatile addition to conventional chromatographic methods employed at the intersection of medicinal chemistry and bioanalysis.
Neue Antibiotika und Präventionsmaßnahmen gegen S. aureus sind aufgrund der starken Ausbreitung multiresistenter S. aureus-Stämme dringend erforderlich. Zur Entwicklung von Therapie- und Präventionsmaßnahmen werden geeignete Infektionsmodellen benötigt, die die klinische Situation möglichst exakt widerspiegeln. Da die Spezies S. aureus stark wirtsspezifisch ist, könnten wirtsadaptierte S. aureus-Stämme hierbei äußerst hilfreich sein. In der Infektionsforschung werden vor allem Mausmodelle verwendet. Da bisher jedoch angenommen wurde, dass Mäuse keine natürlichen Wirte von S. aureus sind, sind S. aureus-Forscher davon ausgegangen, dass Mäuse kein geeignetes Modell darstellen. Das wurde durch unsere und andere Arbeitsgruppen allerdings in den letzten Jahren widerlegt. Wir konnten zeigen, dass Labor- und Wildmäuse mit S. aureus besiedelt sind.
Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit sollte geklärt werden, ob murine Infektionsmodelle durch die Verwendung von mausadaptierten S. aureus-Stämmen optimiert werden können. Aus über 250 S. aureus-Stämmen, die aus Labor und Wildmäusen isoliert wurden, wurden vier mausadaptierte S. aureus-Isolate ausgewählt und mit dem humanen S. aureus-Isolat Newman in einem Pneumonie- und Bakteriämiemodell vergleichen. Diese Stämme wiesen einen repräsentativen spa-Typ sowie typischen Phagenmuster und Virulenzgene auf. Zudem waren sie in der Lage, murines Plasma zu koagulieren und in murinem Vollblut zu replizieren.
Es zeigte sich, dass das murine Isolat S. aureus DIP sowohl im Pneumonie- als auch im Bakteriämiemodell deutlich virulenter war als das humane Isolat Newman und die anderen getesteten mausadaptierten Stämme. Nach kürzester Zeit starben alle Tiere, die mit S. aureus DIP infiziert wurden. Wurde die Infektionsdosis im Vergleich zu Newman um 90 % reduziert, waren die bakterielle Last, der Belastungsscore, sowie die Zytokin- und Chemokinkonzentrationen nach Infektion mit S. aureus DIP bzw. S. aureus Newman vergleichbar. Im Besiedlungsmodell konnte gezeigt werden, dass die mausadaptierten Stämme S. aureus JSNZ sowie S. aureus DIP in der Lage sind, Mäuse über einen Zeitraum von 7 Tagen stabil zu besiedeln. Mäuse, die mit S. aureus Newman besiedelt waren, konnten den Stamm innerhalb dieses Zeitraums eliminieren. Die Genomsequenzierung der in vivo verwendeten S. aureus Stämme zeigte, dass lediglich S. aureus DIP für das Leukozidin LukMF‘ kodiert. Das lässt vermuten, dass die Präsenz des Virulenzfaktors für die gesteigerte Virulenz von S. aureus DIP verantwortlich sein könnte.
Des Weiteren sollten in dieser Arbeit ein Besiedlungsmodell mit murinen S. aureus-Isolaten etabliert und die beteiligten Immunzellen quantifiziert werden. Es zeigte sich, dass Mäuse mit murinen S. aureus-Isolaten bis zu 7 Tage besiedelt werden können wohingegen S. aureus Newman zu diesem Zeitpunkt nur noch in 20 % der Tiere nachweisbar war. Zudem konnte bei der intranasalen Besiedlung mit einer hohen Dosis S. aureus DIP [1 × 10^8 CFU] gezeigt werden, dass sowohl Th17-Zellen als auch γδ-T-Zellen nach 7 Tagen IL-17A, IL-17F und IL-22 produzieren. Jedoch konnte die Zytokinproduktion nur in Tieren nachgewiesen werden, die einen hohen Belastungsscore aufwiesen. Da nach 24 Stunden bei Tieren mit hohem Belastungsscore auch Bakterien in der Lunge detektiert wurde, ist anzunehmen, dass S. aureus diese Tiere nicht nur besiedelt, sondern bei ihnen auch eine Atemwegsinfektion verursacht hatte. Durch den geringen prozentualen Anteil an ILCs in den zervikalen Lymphknoten war es nicht möglich Rückschlüsse auf deren Zytokinproduktion zu ziehen. Somit gelang es zwar ein murines S. aureus-Besiedlungsmodell zu etablieren, jedoch kann keine Aussage zu den beteiligten Zellen des Immunsystems getroffen werden.
Zusammenfassend konnte gezeigt werden, dass Labormäuse mit mausadaptierten S. aureus-Stämmen länger besiedelt werden können als mit dem humanen Referenzstamm Newman. Zudem konnte mit Hilfe des mausadaptierten Stammes S. aureus DIP die Infektionsdosis im Pneumonie- und Bakteriämiemodell erheblich reduziert werden. Somit gelang es Mausmodelle durch die Verwendung von mausadaptierten S. aureus-Stämmen zu optimieren, auch wenn das nicht auf alle getesteten Isolate zutrifft. Durch die Anpassung an den murinen Wirt stellen mausadaptierte S. aureus-Stämme wie DIP und JSNZ ein physiologischeres Modell der Pathogen-Wirts-Interaktion dar. Die Verwendung eines solchen Stammes ermöglicht es ein besseres Verständnis für Infektionsprozesse und die Pathogen-Wirt-Interaktionen zu erlangen und dadurch eventuell neue Therapiemöglichkeiten zu entwickeln.
Es ist zu berücksichtigen, dass auch die Verwendung mausadaptierter S. aureus-Stämme in murinen Besiedlungs- und Infektionsmodellen lediglich ein Modell darstellt, welches Vor- und Nachteile hat. Daher ist es essenziell, dass Wissenschaftler die Grenzen jedes Modellsystems kennen und das richtige Infektionsmodell (oder eine Kombination davon) auswählen, um ihre Forschungsfragen zu beantworten.
Kraniomandibuläre Dysfunktionen sind eine der häufigsten Erkrankungen im Wechselspiel zwischen dem stomatognathen System und dem übrigen Körper, insbesondere der Halswirbelsäule. Sehr häufig steht dabei das Kiefergelenk im Mittelpunkt. Durch das fehlende physiologische Zusammenspiel kommt es nicht selten zu unterschiedlichen lokalen Beschwerden am Kauapparat sowie zu Fernwirkungen, die mitunter nicht auf den kraniozervikalen Übergang beschränkt bleiben. Da die Beziehungen zwischen dem Kauapparat und dem kraniozervikalen Übergang nicht vollständig verstanden sind, bestand das Ziel dieser Studie darin, zu untersuchen, ob die ossäre Morphologie der angrenzenden Regionen mit dem kraniozervikalen Übergang physiologische Wechselwirkungen aufweist und damit als ursächlicher Faktor für eine CMD diskutiert werden sollte.
Die vorliegende Studie basiert auf 125 DVT-Datensätzen, die im Rahmen des klinischen Alltags in der Klinik für Mund-Kiefer-Gesichtschiurgie / Plastische Operationen der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald erstellt worden sind. Die Erstellung der Rohdaten wurde mit dem Liegendgerät Newtom 3G (Q.R.s.r.l.) durchgeführt. Anschließend wurden die Daten mit der Software NewTom NNT Version 2, 11 (Q.R.s.r.l., Verona Italien) nachberechnet und vermessen. Der kraniozervikale Übergang, das Kiefergelenk und der Gesichtsschädel wurden durch charakteristische lineare Maße und Winkel standardisiert vermessen. Außerdem wurde eine Typisierung der Form des Kondylus vorgenommen und die Anzahl der Stützzonen festgestellt.
Zur Analyse der erhobenen Daten wurden zunächst Mittelwerte und Standardabweichungen getrennt nach Geschlecht und Altersgruppen ermittelt. Um den Geschlechtsdimorphismus und Unterschiede zwischen den Altersgruppen der erwachsenen Probanden darzustellen, wurde eine einfaktorielle Varianzanalyse (ANOVA) durchgeführt. Anschließend erfolgten Korrelationsanalysen, um Zusammenhänge zwischen den einzelnen Untersuchungsregionen aufzuzeigen. Des Weiteren wurden Korrelationsanalysen unter Berücksichtigung der Form des Proc. condylaris und der Anzahl der vorhandenen Stützzonen durchgeführt, um den Einfluss auf die drei Untersuchungsregionen herauszuarbeiten. Schließlich wurde eine Faktorenanalyse durchgeführt, um weitere funktionelle Zusammenhänge zu ermitteln.
Der Vergleich der erhobenen Daten mit denen der Literatur zeigte in großen Teilen Übereinstimmungen. Durch die Varianzanalyse ließ sich kein Hinweis auf signifikante Unterschiede der Maße in den einzelnen Altersgruppen erkennen. Es traten jedoch geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede auf. Die Maße der männlichen Probanden waren überwiegend größer als die der weiblichen. Besonders große Unterschiede zeigten sich bei den Maßen des Gesichtsschädels und den Maßen des kraniozervikalen Überganges. Am Kiefergelenk war lediglich der Proc. condylaris bei den Männern länger als bei den Frauen.
Die Korrelationsanalyse wies auf Zusammenhänge zwischen den einzelnen Regionen hin, die vor allem zwischen den Maßen des Gesichtsschädels und den Maßen des kraniozervikalen Überganges deutlich ausgeprägt waren. Diesbezüglich wiesen 67,9 % der Werte signifikant positive Korrelationen auf. Zwischen den Maßen des Gesichtsschädels und des Kiefergelenks waren es lediglich 45,2 % signifikante Korrelationen und zwischen kraniozervikalem Übergang und Kiefergelenk sogar nur 36,1 % signifikante Korrelationen. Besonders deutlich war der Zusammenhang zwischen den Längen des Gesichtsschädels und den Längen von Atlas und Axis. Die signifikanten Zusammenhänge konnten durch Regressionsanalysen weiter charakterisiert werden. Es ließen sich jedoch keine geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede erkennen. Durch die Faktorenanalyse konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich die einzelnen Parameter mathematisch gruppieren lassen.
Die Korrelationsanalyse unter Berücksichtigung der Kondylenform und der Anzahl der Stützzonen zeigte, dass beide Struktureinheiten einen großen Einfluss auf die Untersuchungsregionen und deren Beziehungen zueinander haben. So wurde deutlich, dass die Anzahl der Korrelationen bei runden Kondylenformen größer ist als bei flachen Formen. Auch wurde deutlich, dass bei fehlenden Stützzonen keine oder kaum Korrelationen nachgewiesen werden können und die Wechselwirkung zwischen den Regionen mit der Anzahl der Stützzonen zunimmt.
Die vorliegende Studie zeigt auffällige ossäre Zusammenhänge zwischen dem kraniozervikalen Übergang, dem Kiefergelenk und dem Gesichtsschädel. Trotz der relativ kleinen Stichprobe konnte die Studie einen Anhalt auf mögliche Zusammenhänge liefern. Die Art der Zusammenhänge, sowie der Einfluss weiterer Faktoren wie Körpergröße, ethnische Zugehörigkeit oder Erkrankungen sollten künftig im Fokus weiterer Untersuchungen stehen. Für derartige Untersuchungen kann diese Studie als Grundlage dienen.
Einleitung
Der EQ-5D ist ein etablierter Fragebogen zur Messung der gesundheitsbezogenen
Lebensqualität von Erwachsenen. Die Entwicklung einer kinderfreundlichen Version dieses
Instrumentes, namens EQ-5D-Y, ermöglicht die Erhebung von vergleichbaren
Lebensqualitätsdaten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Die vorliegende Studie dient der
ergänzenden Validierung und methodischen Absicherung des EQ-5D-Y durch Anwendung
bei kranken Kindern und Jugendlichen.
Methoden
Es wurden 235 akut und chronisch erkrankte Probanden, davon 107 Kinder (5-12 Jahre) und
128 Jugendliche (13-18 Jahre), in die Studie eingeschlossen. Die Befragungen wurden im
Krankenhaus, in ambulanten Sprechstunden und in Rehakliniken durchgeführt. Die
Rehapatienten wurden zum Rehabeginn sowie vor der Abreise befragt, während bei allen
anderen Patienten eine einmalige Datenerhebung erfolgte. Der Patientenfragebogen umfasste
neben dem EQ-5D-Y weitere bereits validierte Lebensqualitätsinstrumente wie den KINDL-R
und den KIDSCREEN-10. Die behandelnden Ärzte beantworteten ebenfalls einen
Fragebogen, der u.a. die Proxy-Version des EQ-5D-Y beinhaltete.
Neben Häufigkeitsanalysen des EQ-5D-Y auf Itemebene wurden die fehlenden Werte
ausgezählt sowie Mittelwerte und Standardabweichungen berechnet und mit dem KINDL-R
und KIDSCREEN-10 verglichen. Eine Varianzanalyse sollte Unterschiede zwischen den
einzelnen Diagnosegruppenmittelwerten detektieren. Zur Bestimmung der konvergenten
Validität wurde der EQ-5D-Y mit den beiden genannten Vergleichsinstrumenten korreliert.
Weiterhin wurden die Patientendaten den Ärztedaten gegenübergestellt und auf
Übereinstimmung überprüft. Die Daten der Längsschnittstudie der Rehagruppe dienten der
Berechnung der Änderungssensitivität. Mithilfe eines Ankerinstrumentes wurden je nach hier
angegebener Veränderung des Wohlbefindens drei Gruppen gebildet (verbesserter,
unveränderter oder verschlechterter subjektiver Gesundheitszustand) und die standardisierten
Effektstärken (SES) berechnet.
Ergebnisse
Die Kinder waren im Durchschnitt 10,31 (SD 1,46) und die Jugendlichen 15,22 (SD 1,52)
Jahre alt. In beiden Altersgruppen wurden im EQ-5D-Y am häufigsten Schwierigkeiten im
Bereich ‚Schmerzen/körperliche Beschwerden‘ und am seltensten in der Dimension ‚für sich
selbst sorgen‘ angegeben. Die von 0-100 transformierten Mittelwerte des EQ-5D-Y lagen bei
90,47 (Kinder) und 84,45 (Jugendliche), die der EQ-VAS bei 82,79 (Kinder), 78,25
(Jugendliche). In der Kinderbefragung blieb im EQ-5D-Y eine Frage unbeantwortet, bei den
Jugendlichen gab es je zwei fehlende Werte beim EQ-5D-Y und bei der EQ-VAS. Die
Deckeneffekte betrugen beim EQ-5D-Y 47,7% in der Kindergruppe und 34,4% in der
Jugendgruppe, bei der EQ-VAS: 21,5% (Kinder), 7,0% (Jugendliche). Ein
schlechtmöglichster Gesundheitszustand wurde nicht genannt. Verglichen mit dem KINDL-R
und dem KIDSCREEN-10 waren die Mittelwerte und Deckeneffekte des EQ-5D-Y größer
und der Anteil fehlender Werte deutlich geringer. In der Varianzanalyse wurden verglichen
mit den anderen Instrumenten die meisten signifikanten Unterschiede für den EQ-5D-Y
insbesondere in der Gruppe mit akuten Erkrankungen berechnet. Die Korrelationen zwischen
dem EQ-5D-Y und den Vergleichsinstrumenten lagen in beiden Altersgruppen insgesamt im
mittleren Bereich. Die EQ-VAS korrelierte in der Kindergruppe schwach und in der
Jugendgruppe mittel bis stark mit dem KIDSCREEN-10 und dem Gesamtwert des KINDL-R.
Im Arzt-Patienten-Vergleich wurden in beiden Altersgruppen die höchsten Werte (Cohens
Kappa) in der Dimension ‚Schmerzen/körperliche Beschwerden‘ berechnet (Kinder: 0,23,
Jugendliche: 0,27). Die stärkste Korrelation nach Pearson fand sich im Item
Schmerzen/körperliche Beschwerden (0,21) in der Kindergruppe. Bei den Jugendlichen lag
der größte Wert bei 0,38 in der Dimension ‚alltägliche Tätigkeiten‘. Die ICC für die EQ-VAS
lag bei 0,05 (Kinder) und 0,23 (Jugendliche). In der Rehapatientengruppe mit unverändertem
Wohlbefinden lagen die SES des EQ-5D-Y bei annähernd Null (-0,08 Kinder; -0,13
Jugendliche). Bei der EQ-VAS lagen die Werte in dieser Gruppe bei 0,50 (Kinder), 0,18
(Jugendliche). In der Gruppe mit subjektiver Gesundheitsverbesserung zeigte der EQ-5D-Y
eine positive Veränderung an (0,47 Kinder; 0,25 Jugendliche). Für die EQ-VAS wurden hier
ebenfalls positive SES berechnet. In der Gruppe mit verschlechtertem Befinden betrugen die
SES des EQ-5D-Y -0,20 (Kinder) und 0,01 (Jugendliche), die SES der EQ-VAS 0,04 (Kinder)
sowie -1,12 (Jugendliche). Die SES der Vergleichsinstrumente waren ebenfalls entsprechend
der Gruppenzuteilung meist positiv, gleichbleibend oder negativ.
Schlussfolgerung
Der EQ-5D-Y-Fragebogen erwies sich bezüglich der durchgeführten Analysen insbesondere
im Vergleich zu den bereits erprobten HRQoL-Instrumenten bei der Anwendung an kranken
Kindern und Jugendlichen als hinreichend valide. Durch die begrenzte Diagnosenauswahl und
relativ kleinen Stichprobenumfänge wäre es jedoch empfehlenswert, die dargelegten
Ergebnisse durch weitere Daten zu ergänzen.
Hypospadie ist die häufigste urogenitale Fehlbildung beim Jungen, Ursache ist eine Störung der Genitalentwicklung zwischen der 9. und 14. Schwangerschaftswoche. Betroffen ist einer von 200-300 Knaben. Seit Galen wurden über 250 Operationstechniken beschrieben. Untersucht wurden die Operationsergebnisse der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald zwischen 2006-2016 mit Betrachtung des veränderten postoperativen Managements und der subjektiven Patientenzufriedenheit.
Abstract
The efficient multifunctionalization by one‐pot or cascade catalytic systems has developed as an important research field, but is often challenging due to incompatibilities or cross‐reactivities of the catalysts leading to side product formation. Herein we report the stereoselective preparation of cis‐ and trans‐4‐aminocyclohexanol from the potentially bio‐based precursor 1,4‐cyclohexanedione. We identified regio‐ and stereoselective enzymes catalyzing reduction and transamination of the diketone, which can be performed in a one‐pot sequential or cascade mode. For this, we identified regioselective keto reductases for the selective mono reduction of the diketone to give 4‐hydroxycyclohexanone. The system is modular and by choosing stereocomplementary amine transaminases, both cis‐ and trans‐4‐aminocyclohexanol were synthesized with good to excellent diastereomeric ratios. Furthermore, we identified an amine transaminase that produces cis‐1,4‐cyclohexanediamine with diastereomeric ratios >98 : 2. These examples highlight that the high selectivity of enzymes enable short and stereoselective cascade multifunctionalizations to generate high‐value building blocks from renewable starting materials.
Introduction
Introduction: Outcome measures are key to tailor rehabilitation goals to the stroke patient's individual needs and to monitor poststroke recovery. The large number of available outcome measures leads to high variability in clinical use. Currently, an internationally agreed core set of motor outcome measures for clinical application is lacking. Therefore, the goal was to develop such a set to serve as a quality standard in clinical motor rehabilitation poststroke.
Methods: Outcome measures for the upper and lower extremities, and activities of daily living (ADL)/stroke-specific outcomes were identified and presented to stroke rehabilitation experts in an electronic Delphi study. In round 1, clinical feasibility and relevance of the outcome measures were rated on a 7-point Likert scale. In round 2, those rated at least as “relevant” and “feasible” were ranked within the body functions, activities, and participation domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Furthermore, measurement time points poststroke were indicated. In round 3, answers were reviewed in reference to overall results to reach final consensus.
Results: In total, 119 outcome measures were presented to 33 experts from 18 countries. The recommended core set includes the Fugl–Meyer Motor Assessment and Action Research Arm Test for the upper extremity section; the Fugl–Meyer Motor Assessment, 10-m Walk Test, Timed-Up-and-Go, and Berg Balance Scale for the lower extremity section; and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and Barthel Index or Functional Independence Measure for the ADL/stroke-specific section. The Stroke Impact Scale was recommended spanning all ICF domains. Recommended measurement time points are days 2 ± 1 and 7; weeks 2, 4, and 12; 6 months poststroke and every following 6th month.
Discussion and Conclusion: Agreement was found upon a set of nine outcome measures for application in clinical motor rehabilitation poststroke, with seven measurement time points following the stages of poststroke recovery. This core set was specifically developed for clinical practice and distinguishes itself from initiatives for stroke rehabilitation research. The next challenge is to implement this clinical core set across the full stroke care continuum with the aim to improve the transparency, comparability, and quality of stroke rehabilitation at a regional, national, and international level.
Glutathione (GSH) was initially identified and characterized for its redox properties andlater for its contributions to detoxification reactions. Over the past decade, however, the essentialcontributions of glutathione to cellular iron metabolism have come more and more into focus. GSH isindispensable in mitochondrial iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster biosynthesis, primarily by co-ligating FeSclusters as a cofactor of the CGFS-type (class II) glutaredoxins (Grxs). GSH is required for the exportof the yet to be defined FeS precursor from the mitochondria to the cytosol. In the cytosol, it is anessential cofactor, again of the multi-domain CGFS-type Grxs, master players in cellular iron and FeStrafficking. In this review, we summarize the recent advances and progress in this field. The mosturgent open questions are discussed, such as the role of GSH in the export of FeS precursors frommitochondria, the physiological roles of the CGFS-type Grx interactions with BolA-like proteins andthe cluster transfer between Grxs and recipient proteins
Diversified livelihoods combining farming, livestock keeping and non-farm income arecharacteristic of many rural households worldwide. For the Central Asian and Caucasian region,livestock keeping is especially important in terms of land use and socio-cultural heritage. We contributeto the literature with data from the under-researched Caucasus region and investigate: (i) the extent ofdiversification in smallholder households; (ii) the role of livestock keeping in diversification; (iii) theinfluence of household-specific and location-specific variables and diversification on householdincome. Based on a dataset of 303 households, we calculate contribution margins for the mainagricultural activities, household income, and diversification indices and analyze the influence ofdiversification, asset and location variables on household income with a regression model. Householdincome is generally diversified and a combination of four income sources (crops, livestock, poultry/beesand social benefits) was the most frequent. The econometric analysis shows that higher householdincomes are positively correlated with higher household land and livestock assets, the presence ofnon-farm work and social benefit income sources and with an increasing specialization as measuredby the diversification index. For enhancing rural household incomes and slowing down rural-urbanmigration, the development of non-farm job opportunities is recommended.
Introduction: Outcome measures are key to tailor rehabilitation goals to the stroke patient's individual needs and to monitor poststroke recovery. The large number of available outcome measures leads to high variability in clinical use. Currently, an internationally agreed core set of motor outcome measures for clinical application is lacking. Therefore, the goal was to develop such a set to serve as a quality standard in clinical motor rehabilitation poststroke.
Methods: Outcome measures for the upper and lower extremities, and activities of daily living (ADL)/stroke-specific outcomes were identified and presented to stroke rehabilitation experts in an electronic Delphi study. In round 1, clinical feasibility and relevance of the outcome measures were rated on a 7-point Likert scale. In round 2, those rated at least as “relevant” and “feasible” were ranked within the body functions, activities, and participation domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Furthermore, measurement time points poststroke were indicated. In round 3, answers were reviewed in reference to overall results to reach final consensus.
Results: In total, 119 outcome measures were presented to 33 experts from 18 countries. The recommended core set includes the Fugl–Meyer Motor Assessment and Action Research Arm Test for the upper extremity section; the Fugl–Meyer Motor Assessment, 10-m Walk Test, Timed-Up-and-Go, and Berg Balance Scale for the lower extremity section; and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and Barthel Index or Functional Independence Measure for the ADL/stroke-specific section. The Stroke Impact Scale was recommended spanning all ICF domains. Recommended measurement time points are days 2 ± 1 and 7; weeks 2, 4, and 12; 6 months poststroke and every following 6th month.
Discussion and Conclusion: Agreement was found upon a set of nine outcome measures for application in clinical motor rehabilitation poststroke, with seven measurement time points following the stages of poststroke recovery. This core set was specifically developed for clinical practice and distinguishes itself from initiatives for stroke rehabilitation research. The next challenge is to implement this clinical core set across the full stroke care continuum with the aim to improve the transparency, comparability, and quality of stroke rehabilitation at a regional, national, and international level.
The Membrane Transporter OAT7 (SLC22A9) Is Not a Susceptibility Factor for Osteoporosis in Europeans
(2020)
Bone production, maintenance, and modeling are a well-balanced process involving mineralization by osteoblasts and resorption by osteoclasts. Sex steroid hormones, including their conjugated forms, contribute majorly to maintaining this balance. Recently, variants in the SLC22A9 gene have been associated with osteoporosis in Korean females. We had recently shown that SLC22A9, encoding organic anion transporter 7 (OAT7), is an uptake transporter of estrone sulfate and identified several genetic variants in Europeans leading to functional consequences in vitro. We therefore hypothesized that SLC22A9 genetic variants may contribute to the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in Europeans. To test this hypothesis, we examined the associations of SLC22A9 variants with bone quality, fractures, and bone turnover markers. We genotyped SLC22A9 variants in 5,701 (2,930 female) subjects (age range, 20–93 years) extracted from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP and SHIP-TREND) covered by the Illumina Infinium HumanExome BeadChip version v1.0 (Exome Chip). Descriptive data (e.g., history of fractures), ultrasonography of the calcaneus, as well as serum concentrations of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, and vitamin D were determined. Comprehensive statistical analyses revealed no association between low-frequency and rare SLC22A9 variants and bone quality, fractures, and bone turnover markers. Our results indicate that single genetic SLC22A9 variants do not have a major impact on osteoporosis risk prediction in Europeans, yet findings need to be replicated in larger-scale studies.
Introduction: Following behavioral recommendations is key to successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to identify causes and patterns of non-compliance in the population to further optimize risk and health communication.
Methods: A total of 157 participants [80% female; mean age = 27.82 years (SD = 11.01)] were surveyed regarding their intention to comply with behavioral recommendations issued by the German government. Latent class analysis examined patterns of compliance, and subsequent multinomial logistic regression models tested sociodemographic (age, gender, country of origin, level of education, region, and number of persons per household) and psychosocial (knowledge about preventive behaviors, risk perception, stigmatizing attitudes) predictors.
Results: Three latent classes were identified: high compliance (25%) with all recommendations; public compliance (51%), with high compliance regarding public but not personal behaviors; and low compliance (24%) with most recommendations. Compared to high compliance, low compliance was associated with male gender [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 0.08 (0.01; 0.85)], younger age [RRR = 0.72 (0.57; 0.93)], and lower public stigma [RRR = 0.21 (0.05; 0.88)]. Low compliers were also younger than public compliers [RRR = 0.76 (0.59; 0.98)].
Discussion: With 25% of the sample reporting full compliance, and 51% differing in terms of public and personal compliance, these findings challenge the sustainability of strict regulatory measures. Moreover, young males were most likely to express low compliance, stressing the need for selective health promotion efforts. Finally, the positive association between public stigma and compliance points to potential othering effects of stigma during a pandemic, but further longitudinal research is required to examine its impact on health and social processes throughout the pandemic.
Staphylococcus aureus can cause life-threatening diseases, and hospital- as well as community-associated antibiotic-resistant strains are an emerging global public health problem. Therefore, prophylactic vaccines or immune-based therapies are considered as alternative treatment opportunities. To develop such novel treatment approaches, a better understanding of the bacterial virulence and immune evasion mechanisms and their potential effects on immune-based therapies is essential. One important staphylococcal virulence factor is alpha-toxin, which is able to disrupt the epithelial barrier in order to establish infection. In addition, alpha-toxin has been reported to modulate other cell types including immune cells. Since CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity is required for protection against S. aureus infection, we were interested in the ability of alpha-toxin to directly modulate CD4+ T cells. To address this, murine naïve CD4+ T cells were differentiated in vitro into effector T cell subsets in the presence of alpha-toxin. Interestingly, alpha-toxin induced death of Th1-polarized cells, while cells polarized under Th17 conditions showed a high resistance toward increasing concentrations of this toxin. These effects could neither be explained by differential expression of the cellular alpha-toxin receptor ADAM10 nor by differential activation of caspases, but might result from an increased susceptibility of Th1 cells toward Ca2+-mediated activation-induced cell death. In accordance with the in vitro findings, an alpha-toxin-dependent decrease of Th1 and concomitant increase of Th17 cells was observed in vivo during S. aureus bacteremia. Interestingly, corresponding subsets of innate lymphoid cells and γδ T cells were similarly affected, suggesting a more general effect of alpha-toxin on the modulation of type 1 and type 3 immune responses. In conclusion, we have identified a novel alpha-toxin-dependent immunomodulatory strategy of S. aureus, which can directly act on CD4+ T cells and might be exploited for the development of novel immune-based therapeutic approaches to treat infections with antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains.
Oxidation-Specific Epitopes (OSEs) Dominate the B Cell Response in Murine Polymicrobial Sepsis
(2020)
In murine abdominal sepsis by colon ascendens stent peritonitis (CASP), a strong increase in serum IgM and IgG antibodies was observed, which reached maximum values 14 days following sepsis induction. The specificity of this antibody response was studied in serum and at the single cell level using a broad panel of bacterial, sepsis-unrelated as well as self-antigens. Whereas an antibacterial IgM/IgG response was rarely observed, studies at the single-cell level revealed that IgM antibodies, in particular, were largely polyreactive. Interestingly, at least 16% of the IgM mAbs and 20% of the IgG mAbs derived from post-septic mice showed specificity for oxidation-specific epitopes (OSEs), which are known targets of the innate/adaptive immune response. This identifies those self-antigens as the main target of B cell responses in sepsis.
Trade of cattle between farms forms a complex trade network. We investigate partitions of this network for cattle trade in Germany. These partitions are groups of farms with similar properties and they are inferred directly from the trade pattern between farms. We make use of a rather new method known as stochastic block modeling (SBM) in order to divide the network into smaller units. SBM turns out to outperform the more established community detection method in the context of disease control in terms of trade restriction. Moreover, SBM is also superior to geographical based trade restrictions and could be a promising approach for disease control.
Background
In addition to the broad dissemination of pathogenic extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia (E.) coli in human and veterinary medicine and the community, their occurrence in wildlife and the environment is a growing concern. Wild birds in particular often carry clinically relevant ESBL-producing E. coli.
Objectives
We analyzed ESBL-producing and non-ESBL-producing E. coli obtained from wild birds in Mongolia to identify phylogenetic and functional characteristics that would explain the predominance of a particular E. coli clonal lineage in this area.
Methods
We investigated ESBL-producing E. coli using whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetics to describe the population structure, resistance and virulence features and performed phenotypic experiments like biofilm formation and adhesion to epithelial cells. We compared the phenotypic characteristics to non-ESBL-producing E. coli from the same background (Mongolian wild birds) and genomic results to publicly available genomes.
Results and Conclusion
We found ESBL-producing E. coli sequence type (ST) 1159 among wild birds in Mongolia. This clonal lineage carried virulence features typical for extra-intestinal pathogenic or enterotoxigenic E. coli. Comparative functional experiments suggested no burden of resistance in the ST1159 isolates, which is despite their carriage of ESBL-plasmids. Wild birds will likely disseminate these antibiotic-resistant pathogens further during migration.
Faces and voices are very important sources of threat in social anxiety disorder (SAD), a common psychiatric disorder where core elements are fears of social exclusion and negative evaluation. Previous research in social anxiety evidenced increased cerebral responses to negative facial or vocal expressions and also generally increased hemodynamic responses to voices and faces. But it is unclear if also the cerebral process of face-voice-integration is altered in SAD. Applying functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the correlates of the audiovisual integration of dynamic faces and voices in SAD as compared to healthy individuals. In the bilateral midsections of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) increased integration effects in SAD were observed driven by greater activation increases during audiovisual stimulation as compared to auditory stimulation. This effect was accompanied by increased functional connectivity with the visual association cortex and a more anterior position of the individual integration maxima along the STS in SAD. These findings demonstrate that the audiovisual integration of facial and vocal cues in SAD is not only systematically altered with regard to intensity and connectivity but also the individual location of the integration areas within the STS. These combined findings offer a novel perspective on the neuronal representation of social signal processing in individuals suffering from SAD.
Streptococcus pneumoniaeinfections lead to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide.Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines significantly reduce the burden of disease but havea limited range of protection, which encourages the development of a broadly protective protein-basedalternative. We and others have shown that immunization with pneumococcal lipoproteins that lackthe lipid anchor protects against colonization. Since immunity againstS. pneumoniaeis mediatedthrough Toll-like receptor 2 signaling induced by lipidated proteins, we investigated the effects ofa lipid modification on the induced immune responses in either intranasally or subcutaneouslyvaccinated mice. Here, we demonstrate that lipidation of recombinant lipoproteins DacB and PnrAstrongly improves their immunogenicity. Mice immunized with lipidated proteins showed enhancedantibody concentrations and different induction kinetics. The induced humoral immune responsewas modulated by lipidation, indicated by increased IgG2/IgG1 subclass ratios related to Th1-typeimmunity. In a mouse model of colonization, immunization with lipidated antigens led to a moderatebut consistent reduction of pneumococcal colonization as compared to the non-lipidated proteins,indicating that protein lipidation can improve the protective capacity of the coupled antigen. Thus,protein lipidation represents a promising approach for the development of a serotype-independentpneumococcal vaccine.
Transcriptional Basis for Differential Thermosensitivity of Seedlings of Various Tomato Genotypes
(2020)
Over the last years, there has been a resurge in the interest to study the relationship between interoception and emotion. By now, it is well established that interoception contributes to the experience of emotions. However, it may also be possible that interoception contributes to the regulation of emotions. To test this possibility, we studied the relationship between interoception and emotion regulation in a sample of healthy individuals (n = 84). We used a similar heartbeat detection task and a similar self-report questionnaire for the assessment of interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation as in previous studies. In contrast to previous studies, we differentiated between male and female individuals in our analyses and controlled our analyses for individual characteristics that may affect the relationship between interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation. We found sex-differences in interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation that amounted to a sex-specific relationship between interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation: Whereas interoceptive accuracy was related to reappraisal but not to suppression in male individuals, interoceptive accuracy was unrelated to reappraisal and suppression in female individuals. These findings indicate that the relationship between interoception and emotion regulation is far more complex than has been suggested by previous findings. However, these findings nonetheless support the view that interoception is essential for both, the regulation and experience of emotions.
Moral dilemmas often concern actions that involve causing harm to others in the attempt to prevent greater harm. But not all actions of this kind are equal in terms of their moral evaluation. In particular, a harm-causing preventive action is typically regarded as less acceptable if the harm is a means to achieve the goal of preventing greater harm than if it is a foreseen but unintended side-effect of the action. Likewise, a harm-causing preventive action is typically deemed less acceptable if it directly produces the harm than if it merely initiates a process that brings about the harmful consequence by its own dynamics. We report three experiments that investigated to which degree these two variables, the instrumentality of the harm (harm as means vs. side-effect; Experiments 1, 2, and 3) and personal force (personal vs. impersonal dilemmas; Experiments 2 and 3) influence deontological (harm-rejection) and utilitarian (outcome-maximization) inclinations that have been hypothesized to underly moral judgments in harm-related moral dilemmas. To measure these moral inclinations, the process dissociation procedure was used. The results suggest that the instrumentality of the harm and personal force affect both inclinations, but in opposite ways. Personal dilemmas and dilemmas characterized by harm as a means evoked higher deontological tendencies and lower utilitarian tendencies, than impersonal dilemmas and dilemmas where the harm was a side-effect. These distinct influences of the two dilemma conceptualization variables went undetected if the conventional measure of moral inclinations, the proportion of harm-accepting judgments, was analyzed. Furthermore, although deontological and utilitarian inclinations were found to be largely independent overall, there was some evidence that their correlation depended on the experimental conditions.
The frequency of sudden, strong warming events is projected to increase in the future. The effects of such events on spring phenology of trees might depend on their timing because spring warming has generally been shown to advance spring budburst while fall and winter warming have been shown to delay spring phenology. To understand the mechanism behind timing-specific warming effects on spring phenology, I simulated warming events during fall, mid-winter and at the end of winter and quantified their effects on bud dormancy depth and subsequently on spring leaf out. The warming events were carried out in climate chambers on tree seedlings of Betula pendula and Fagus sylvatica in October, January, and February. Control seedlings were kept at photoperiod and temperature matching the daily fluctuating field conditions. Warmed seedlings were kept 10°C warmer than the control seedlings for 10 days during the respective warming periods. Warming in October increased bud dormancy depth and decreased spring leaf-out rate only for F. sylvatica, whereas warming in February reduced bud dormancy depth and advanced spring leaf-out rate only for B. pendula. Neither bud dormancy depth nor spring leaf out rate were affected by January warming. The results indicate that warming-induced changes in bud dormancy depth may explain species- and timing-specific warming effects on spring phenology. The extent to which the timing of bud dormancy phases is species-specific will influence among-species variation in future spring leaf out times.
Acidobacteria represents one of the most dominant bacterial groups across diverse ecosystems. However, insight into their ecology and physiology has been hampered by difficulties in cultivating members of this phylum. Previous cultivation efforts have suggested an important role of trace elements for the proliferation of Acidobacteria, however, the impact of these metals on their growth and metabolism is not known. In order to gain insight into this relationship, we evaluated the effect of trace element solution SL10 on the growth of two strains (5B5 and WH15) of Acidobacteria belonging to the genus Granulicella and studied the proteomic responses to manganese (Mn). Granulicella species had highest growth with the addition of Mn, as well as higher tolerance to this metal compared to seven other metal salts. Variations in tolerance to metal salt concentrations suggests that Granulicella sp. strains possess different mechanisms to deal with metal ion homeostasis and stress. Furthermore, Granulicella sp. 5B5 might be more adapted to survive in an environment with higher concentration of several metal ions when compared to Granulicella sp. WH15. The proteomic profiles of both strains indicated that Mn was more important in enhancing enzymatic activity than to protein expression regulation. In the genomic analyses, we did not find the most common transcriptional regulation of Mn homeostasis, but we found candidate transporters that could be potentially involved in Mn homeostasis for Granulicella species. The presence of such transporters might be involved in tolerance to higher Mn concentrations, improving the adaptability of bacteria to metal enriched environments, such as the decaying wood-rich Mn environment from which these two Granulicella strains were isolated.
Mussel farming, compared to marine finfish aquaculture, represents an environmentally friendly alternative for a high quality protein source and can at the same time be a measure to remove excess nutrients in eutrophic areas. As such, it is considered as a promising “blue growth” potential and promoted within the European Union. To expand mussel aquaculture, new regions have to be considered because there are multiple marine usages, and spatial limitations occur in coastal areas. The brackish Baltic Sea might be considered for expansion of mussel aquaculture. This study focusses on estimated production potential, economic profitability and nutrient remediation potential of mussel farming at different salinities. Four experimental mussel farms were set up along the German Baltic coast at salinities ranging from 7 to 17 psu. Collected growth data was used to calibrate and validate a Dynamic Energy Budget model and to predict the potential mussel production at 12 sites along the German coast. The estimated production and nutrient removal was used to assess economic profitability, assuming two usages of the harvest: human consumption and mussel meal production. Measured mussel specific growth rates increased with salinity from 0.05 mm d–1 in Greifswald Bay to 0.11 mm d–1 in Kiel Fjord. Within 6 months, a 1-ha farm could produce from 1 t (Darss-Zingst-Bodden-Chain) to 51 t (Flensburg) fresh mussels and remove 1.1 to 27.7 kg P and 24.7 to 612.7 kg N, respectively. Mussel farms at sites west of Rostock at salinities >10 psu could produce 5 cm mussels within 18 months, but only farms at Flensburg, Eckernförde and Kiel Fjord became profitable at a farm size of 4 ha (160,000 m3) at current market prices of 2.2 € kg–1. Regardless of the farm size, none of the farm sites could operate profitable if fresh mussels were sold for animal feeding at sales price of 0.06 € kg–1. Yearly nutrient removal costs at a small-scale farm (1 ha) ranged between 162 € (Flensburg) and 4,018 € (Darss-Zingst-Bodden-Chain) kg–1 nitrogen, and 3,580 € and 88,750 € kg–1 phosphorus, respectively.
In food chain, Pseudomonas spp. cause spoilage by reducing shelf life of fresh products, especially during cold storage, with a high economic burden for industries. However, recent studies have shed new light on health risks occurring when they colonize immunocompromised patient tissues. Likewise to P. aeruginosa, they exhibit antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation, responsible for their spread and persistence in the environment. Biofilm formation might be induced by environmental stresses, such as temperature fluctuations causing physiological and metabolic changes exacerbating food spoilage (by protease and pigment synthesis), and the production of adhesion molecules, chemotactic or underestimated virulence factors. In order to provide a new insight into phenotypic biodiversity of Pseudomonas spoilers isolated from cold stored cheese, in this work 19 Pseudomonas spp. were investigated for biofilm, pigments, exopolysaccharide production and motility at low temperature. Only nine strains showed these phenotypic traits and the blue pigmenting cheese strain P. fluorescens ITEM 17298 was the most distinctive. In addition, this strain decreased the survival probability of infected Galleria mellonella larvae, showing, for the first time, a pathogenic potential. Genomic and proteomic analyses performed on the ITEM 17298 planktonic cells treated or not with lactoferrin derived antibiofilm peptides allowed to reveal specific biofilm related-pathways as well as proteins involved in pathogenesis. Indeed, several genes were found related to signaling system by cGMP-dependent protein kinases, cellulose, rhamnolipid and alginate synthesis, antibiotic resistance, adhesion and virulence factors. The proteome of the untreated ITEM 17298, growing at low temperature, showed that most of the proteins associated with biofilm regulation, pigmentation motility, antibiotic resistance and pathogenecity were repressed, or decreased their levels in comparison to that of the untreated cultures. Thus, the results of this work shed light on the complex pathways network allowing psychrotrophic pseudomonads to adapt themselves to food-refrigerated conditions and enhance their spoilage. In addition, the discovery of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance determinants raises some questions about the need to deeper investigate these underestimated bacteria in order to increase awareness and provide input to update legislation on their detection limits in foods.
Trade of cattle between farms forms a complex trade network. We investigate partitions of this network for cattle trade in Germany. These partitions are groups of farms with similar properties and they are inferred directly from the trade pattern between farms. We make use of a rather new method known as stochastic block modeling (SBM) in order to divide the network into smaller units. SBM turns out to outperform the more established community detection method in the context of disease control in terms of trade restriction. Moreover, SBM is also superior to geographical based trade restrictions and could be a promising approach for disease control.
Multiproxy investigations of lacustrine sediments from Laguna Azul (52 °S) document multi-millennial Holocene influences of Southern Hemispheric Westerlies (SHW) on the hydroclimatic variability of south-eastern Patagonia. During the last 4000 years, this hydroclimatic variability is overprinted by centennial warm/dry periods. A cool/wet period from 11,600 to 10,100 cal. BP is succeeded by an early Holocene dry period (10,100–8300 cal. BP) with a shallow lake, strong anoxia, methanogenesis and high salinity. Between 8300 and 4000 cal. BP the influence of SHW weakened, resulting in a freshwater lake considered to be related to less arid conditions. Since 4000 cal. BP, regional temperature decreased accompanied by re-intensification of SHW reaching full strength since 3000 cal. BP. Centred around 2200, 1000 cal. BP and in the 20th century, Laguna Azul experienced century-long warm/dry spells. Between these dry periods, two pronounced moist periods are suggested to be contemporaneous to the ‘Dark Age Cold Period’ and the ‘Little Ice Age’. Different from millennial SHW variations, centennial fluctuations appear to be synchronous for South America and the Northern Hemisphere. Changes in solar activity, large volcanic eruptions and/or modulations of ocean circulation are potential triggers for this synchronicity.
Much research has been devoted to the development of emotion recognition tests that can be used to investigate how individuals identify and discriminate emotional expressions of other individuals. One of the most prominent emotion recognition tests is the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RME-T). The original RME-T has been widely used to investigate how individuals recognize complex emotional expressions from the eye region of adult faces. However, the RME-T can only be used to investigate inter-individual differences in complex emotion recognition during the processing of adult faces. To extend its usefulness, we developed a modified version of the RME-T, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes of Children Test (RME-C-T). The RME-C-T can be used to investigate how individuals recognize complex emotional expressions from the eye region of child faces. However, the validity of the RME-C-T has not been evaluated yet. We, thus, administered the RME-C-T together with the RME-T to a sample of healthy adult participants (n = 119). The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were also administered. Participants’ RME-C-T performance correlated with participants’ RME-T performance, implying that the RME-C-T measures similar emotion recognition abilities as the RME-T. Participants’ RME-C-T performance also correlated with participants’ IRI and TAS scores, indicating that these emotion recognition abilities are affected by empathetic and alexithymic traits. Moreover, participants’ RME-C-T performance differed between participants with high and low TAS scores, suggesting that the RME-C-T is sensitive enough to detect impairments in these emotion recognition abilities. The RME-C-T, thus, turned out to be a valid measure of inter-individual differences in complex emotion recognition during the processing of child faces.
Objectives: Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) provides significant benefits over classic TMS. Yet, the acquisition of individual structural magnetic resonance images (MRIindividual) is a time-consuming, expensive, and not feasible prerequisite in all subjects for spatial tracking and anatomical guidance in nTMS studies. We hypothesize that spatial transformation can be used to adjust MRI templates to individual head shapes (MRIwarped) and that TMS parameters do not differ between nTMS using MRIindividual or MRIwarped.
Materials and Methods: Twenty identical TMS sessions, each including four different navigation conditions, were conducted in 10 healthy subjects (one female, 27.4 ± 3.8 years), i.e., twice per subject by two researchers to additionally assess interrater reliabilities. MRIindividual were acquired for all subjects. MRIwarped were obtained through the spatial transformation of a template MRI following a 5-, 9-and 36-point head surface registration (MRIwarped_5, MRIwarped_9, MRIwarped_36). Stimulation hotspot locations, resting motor threshold (RMT), 500 μV motor threshold (500 μV-MT), and mean absolute motor evoked potential difference (MAD) of primary motor cortex (M1) examinations were compared between nTMS using either MRIwarped variants or MRIindividual and non-navigated TMS.
Results: M1 hotspots were spatially consistent between MRIindividual and MRIwarped_36 (insignificant deviation by 4.79 ± 2.62 mm). MEP thresholds and variance were also equivalent between MRIindividual and MRIwarped_36 with mean differences of RMT by −0.05 ± 2.28% maximum stimulator output (%MSO; t(19) = −0.09, p = 0.923), 500 μV-MT by −0.15 ± 1.63%MSO (t(19) = −0.41, p = 0.686) and MAD by 70.5 ± 214.38 μV (t(19) = 1.47, p = 0.158). Intraclass correlations (ICC) of motor thresholds were between 0.88 and 0.97.
Conclusions: NTMS examinations of M1 yield equivalent topographical and functional results using MRIindividual and MRIwarped if a sufficient number of registration points are used.
Regulated ATP-dependent proteolysis is a common feature of developmental processes and plays also a crucial role during environmental perturbations such as stress and starvation. The Bacillus subtilis MgsR regulator controls a subregulon within the stress- and stationary phase σB regulon. After ethanol exposition and a short time-window of activity, MgsR is ClpXP-dependently degraded with a half-life of approximately 6 min. Surprisingly, a protein interaction analysis with MgsR revealed an association with the McsB arginine kinase and an in vivo degradation assay confirmed a strong impact of McsB on MgsR degradation. In vitro phosphorylation experiments with arginine (R) by lysine (K) substitutions in McsB and its activator McsA unraveled all R residues, which are essentially needed for the arginine kinase reaction. Subsequently, site directed mutagenesis of the MgsR substrate was used to substitute all arginine residues with glutamate (R-E) to mimic arginine phosphorylation and to test their influence on MgsR degradation in vivo. It turned out, that especially the R33E and R94/95E residues (RRPI motif), the latter are adjacently located to the two redox-sensitive cysteines in a 3D model, have the potential to accelerate MgsR degradation. These results imply that selective arginine phosphorylation may have favorable effects for Clp dependent degradation of short-living regulatory proteins. We speculate that in addition to its kinase activity and adaptor function for the ClpC ATPase, McsB might also serve as a proteolytic adaptor for the ClpX ATPase in the degradation mechanism of MgsR.
We aimed to evaluate the outcome of different treatment modalities for extremity venous thrombosis (VT) in neonates and infants, highlighting the current debate on their best tool of management. This retrospective study took place over a 9-year period from January 2009 to December 2017. All treated patients were referred to the vascular and pediatric surgery departments from the neonatal intensive care unit. All patients underwent a thorough history-taking as well as general clinical and local examination of the affected limb. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group I included those who underwent a conservative treated with the sole administration of unfractionated heparin (UFH), whereas group II included those who were treated with UFH plus warfarin. Sixty-three patients were included in this study. They were 36 males and 27 females. Their age ranged from 3 to 302 days. Forty-one (65%) patients had VT in the upper limb, whereas the remaining 22 (35%) had lower extremity VT. The success rate of the nonsurgical treatment was accomplished in 81% of patients. The remaining 19% underwent limb severing, due to established gangrene. The Kaplan-Meier survival method revealed a highly significant increase in both mean and median survival times in those groups treated with heparin and warfarin compared to heparin-only group (P < .001). Nonoperative treatment with anticoagulation or observation (ie, wait-and-see policy) alone may be an easily applicable, effective, and a safe modality for management of VT in neonates and infants, especially in developing countries with poor or highly challenged resource settings.
Differences in salinity are boundaries that act as barriers for the dispersal of most aquatic organisms. This creates distinctive biota in freshwater and brackish water (mesohaline) environments. To test how saline boundaries influence the diversity and composition of host-associated microbiota, we analyzed the microbiome within the digestive tract of Theodoxus fluviatilis, an organism able to cross the freshwater and mesohaline boundary. Alpha-diversity measures of the microbiome in freshwater and brackish water were not significantly different. However, the composition of the bacterial community within freshwater T. fluviatilis differed significantly compared with mesohaline T. fluviatilis and typical bacteria could be determined for the freshwater and the mesohaline digestive tract microbiome. An artificial increase in salinity surrounding these freshwater snails resulted in a strong change in the bacterial community and typical marine bacteria became more pronounced in the digestive tract microbiome of freshwater T. fluviatilis. However, the composition of the digestive tract microbiome in freshwater snails did not converge to that found within mesohaline snails. Within mesohaline snails, no cardinal change was found after either an increase or decrease in salinity. In all samples, Pseudomonas, Pirellula, Flavobacterium, Limnohabitans, and Acinetobacter were among the most abundant bacteria. These bacterial genera were largely unaffected by changes in environmental conditions. As permanent residents in T. fluviatilis, they may support the digestion of the algal food in the digestive tract. Our results show that freshwater and mesohaline water host-associated microbiomes respond differently to changes in salinity. Therefore, the salinization of coastal freshwater environments due to a rise in sea level can influence the gut microbiome and its functions with currently unknown consequences for, e.g., nutritional physiology of the host.
Die Regulation der adaptiven Immunantwort im Verlauf der schweren akuten Pankreatitis im Mausmodell
(2020)
Die akute Pankreatitis ist eine weit verbreitete gastrointestinale Erkrankung, die assoziiert sein kann mit Multiorganversagen und einer nicht unwesentlichen Mortalität. Die Pankreatitis beginnt mit einer sterilen Entzündung, die eine überschießende inflammatorische Immunantwort (SIRS) induzieren kann. Die dahinter stehenden Mechanismen sind bisher noch nicht verstanden und eine Behandlung aus diesem Grund schwierig.
Um die systemische Immunantwort während der Pankreatitis genauer zu untersuchen, wurde in dieser Studie in unterschiedlichen Mausstämmen (IL-12p40-, NLRP3- und IL-18 knockout Mäuse) eine akute Pankreatitis mittels Gangligatur und der Applikation von Caerulein induziert. Die Aktivierung der erworbenen Immunantwort wurde mittels durchflußzytometrischer Analyse der T-Zellen in der Milz gemessen. Die Differenzierung der T-Zellen zu Th1/Th2/Treg-Zellen wurde durch die Färbung der nukleären Transkriptionsfaktoren Tbet, Gata3 und FoxP3 und CD4+-Zellen untersucht.
Im Zuge dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Aktivierung des erworbenen Immunsystems abhängig von NLRP3 ist. Während der Pankreatitis zeigte sich eine klare Th2-Antwort in Abwesenheit einer Th1-Antwort. Diese Immunantwort war abhängig von IL-18 in Abwesenheit von IL-12. Die therapeutische Inhibition von NLRP3 zeigte eine deutliche Reduktion der T-Zell-Aktivierung und einen milderen Krankheitsverlauf der Pankreatitis.
Im Gegensatz zu anderen Arbeiten, die davon ausgehen, dass es erst zu einer überschießenden Inflammation (SIRS) und dann zu einer zu starken Gegenreaktion, Anti-Inflammation (CARS), kommt, konnte gezeigt werden, dass im Verlauf der Pankreatitis SIRS und CARS parallel verlaufen. Durch die Inhibition von NLRP3 kommt es zu einer milderen Immunantwort und milderen Krankheitsverlauf. Aus diesem Grund kann der Einsatz von Inhibitoren gegen NLRP3 ein guter therapeutischer Ansatz für den klinischen Alltag und bei der Behandlung der akuten Pankreatitis sein.
Das Ziel der stabilisierenden Wirbelsäulenchirurgie ist es, einen ausreichend langfristigen, suffizienten Implantatsitz zu gewährleisten und damit den instrumentierten Wirbelsäulenabschnitt ruhigzustellen, um ein Abheilen der Pathologie bzw. eine knöcherne Fusion herbeizuführen. In einigen Fällen können jedoch Bedingungen vorliegen, die die standardmäßige Instrumentierung mit Pedikelschrauben verhindern. So können beispielsweise anatomische Varianten, vorherige transpedikuläre Zementanwendungen oder Lockerungen von zuvor angewendetem Osteosynthesematerial, die üblicherweise angewendete Stabilisierung mittels Pedikelschrauben in den betreffenden Wirbelkörpern unmöglich machen. Vor dem Hintergrund der hohen, beziehungs- weise weiter steigenden Zahlen an Wirbelsäuleneingriffen, sind alternative Instrumentierungs- techniken zunehmend gefragt. Dabei stellt die Platzierung von intralaminären Schrauben zur Osteosynthese von Wirbelkörpern eine mögliche Alternative zu Pedikelschrauben dar.
Zur Beschreibung der Anatomie der Laminae wurden anhand von Selektionskriterien ausgewählte anonymisierte Computertomographien mittels einer Planungs- und Analysesoftware für radiologische Bildgebungen nach Kriterien für die Platzierung von ILS vermessen. Dabei wur- den die Wirbelkörperlaminae, die Dornfortsätze und zum Vergleich die Pedikel analysiert und ausgewertet und zur Qualitätssicherung die Richtigkeit und Reproduzierbarkeit der erhobenen Daten gezeigt.
Die vergleichenden statistischen Analysen zeigten, dass intralaminäre Schrauben eine alter- native Fixierungsmöglichkeit im Lendenwirbelsäulenbereich darstellen können. Mehr als 90% der Laminae aller Lendenwirbelkörper hatten eine Länge über 30 mm bei beiden Geschlechtern. Dadurch ist die Laminalänge für eine Anwendung im gesamten Lendenwirbelsäulenbereich möglich. Jedoch zeigten sich für die Laminabreiten Limitationen. Bei LWK 4 (57,1%) und LWK 5 (46,9%) bei den Frauen und bei LWK 5 (67,3%) bei den Männern waren bedeutsame Anteile der Laminae mit geringen Breiten unter 5 mm messbar. Im Vergleich zu den standardmäßig zur Instrumentierung belegten Pedikeln hatten die Lamina vom LWK 1 und vom LWK 2 bei dem weiblichen Geschlecht im Durchschnitt einen größeren Querschnitt. Demgegenüber fanden sich bei LWK 4 und LWK 5 bei den Frauen und bei LWK 5 bei den Männern in einem bedeutsamen Anteil der Fälle zu kleine Querschnitte der Laminae, um eine Instrumentierung zu ermöglichen. Diese Einschränkung könnte im Vorfeld anhand einer Bildgebung überprüft werden, um festzustellen, ob intralaminäre Schrauben bei dem jeweiligen Patienten, im Gegensatz zu der etablierten Methode der Pedikelschraubenfixierung, platzierbar und möglich sind. In der Mehrzahl der Fälle kann bei einer Hypoplasie der Pedikel oder Laminae auf die jeweils andere Struktur ausgewichen werden.
Biomechanische und klinische Langzeitstudien sollten vor dem Einsatz von intralaminären Schrauben erfolgen, um die technische Machbarkeit und den Nutzen von intralaminären Schrauben an der Lendenwirbelsäule zu beurteilen. Die vorgelegte anatomisch-radiologische Studie der lumbalen Laminae kann als Referenz für zukünftige Anwendungen dienen.
Drained peatlands are significant sources of the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide.Rewetting is a proven strategy used to protect carbon stocks; however, it can lead to increasedemissions of the potent GHG methane. The response to rewetting of soil microbiomes as drivers ofthese processes is poorly understood, as are the biotic and abiotic factors that control communitycomposition. We analyzed the pro- and eukaryotic microbiomes of three contrasting pairs ofminerotrophic fens subject to decade-long drainage and subsequent long-term rewetting. Abiotic soilproperties including moisture, dissolved organic matter, methane fluxes, and ecosystem respirationrates were also determined. The composition of the microbiomes was fen-type-specific, but allrewetted sites showed higher abundances of anaerobic taxa compared to drained sites. Based onmulti-variate statistics and network analyses, we identified soil moisture as a major driver ofcommunity composition. Furthermore, salinity drove the separation between coastal and freshwaterfen communities. Methanogens were more than 10-fold more abundant in rewetted than in drainedsites, while their abundance was lowest in the coastal fen, likely due to competition with sulfatereducers. The microbiome compositions were reflected in methane fluxes from the sites. Our resultsshed light on the factors that structure fen microbiomes via environmental filtering.
The aim of this follow-up study was, to compare the effects of mechanical periodontal therapy with or without adjunctive amoxicillin and metronidazole on the subgingival microbiome of smokers with periodontitis using 16S rDNA amplicon next generation sequencing. Fifty-four periodontitis patients that smoke received either non-surgical periodontal therapy with adjunctive amoxicillin and metronidazole (n = 27) or with placebos (n = 27). Subgingival plaque samples were taken before and two months after therapy. Bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and the V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes was amplified. Up to 96 libraries were normalized and pooled for Illumina MiSeq paired-end sequencing with almost fully overlapping 250 base pairs reads. Exact ribosomal sequence variants (RSVs) were inferred with DADA2. Microbial diversity and changes on the genus and RSV level were analyzed with non-parametric tests and a negative binomial regression model, respectively. Before therapy, the demographic, clinical, and microbial parameters were not significantly different between the placebo and antibiotic groups. Two months after the therapy, clinical parameters improved and there was a significantly increased dissimilarity of microbiomes between the two groups. In the antibiotic group, there was a significant reduction of genera classified as Porphyromonas, Tannerella, and Treponema, and 22 other genera also decreased significantly, while Selenomonas, Capnocytophaga, Actinomycetes, and five other genera significantly increased. In the placebo group, however, there was not a significant decrease in periodontal pathogens after therapy and only five other genera decreased, while Veillonella and nine other genera increased. We conclude that in periodontitis patients who smoke, microbial shifts occurred two months after periodontal therapy with either antibiotics or placebo, but genera including periodontal pathogens decreased significantly only with adjunctive antibiotics.
Does really no one care? Analyzing the public engagement of communication scientists on Twitter
(2020)
Recent publications question the public visibility of communication science as a discipline and its relevance for the broader society. To address this issue, we analyze the public engagement of communication scientists by using the example of their Twitter activity. We theoretically distinguish eight types of engagement and explore their empirical prevalence. The results show that a large share of communication is between peers, fulfilling social networking functions. Nevertheless, more than a quarter of the tweets are on political and social topics. In this way, communication scientists bring society into their scholarly community and thus act as bridge builders. They also reach diverse publics outside of science, such as followers from the field of economics. Our study thus highlights the diversity of connections between science and society and can offer a starting point to further research other fields of public engagement and the impact of the discipline on the public discourse.
Dengue virus (DV) is a positive-strand RNA virus of the Flavivirus genus. It is one of the most prevalent mosquito-borne viruses, infecting globally 390 million individuals per year. The clinical spectrum of DV infection ranges from an asymptomatic course to severe complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), the latter because of severe plasma leakage. Given that the outcome of infection is likely determined by the kinetics of viral replication and the antiviral host cell immune response (HIR) it is of importance to understand the interaction between these two parameters. In this study, we use mathematical modeling to characterize and understand the complex interplay between intracellular DV replication and the host cells' defense mechanisms. We first measured viral RNA, viral protein, and virus particle production in Huh7 cells, which exhibit a notoriously weak intrinsic antiviral response. Based on these measurements, we developed a detailed intracellular DV replication model. We then measured replication in IFN competent A549 cells and used this data to couple the replication model with a model describing IFN activation and production of IFN stimulated genes (ISGs), as well as their interplay with DV replication. By comparing the cell line specific DV replication, we found that host factors involved in replication complex formation and virus particle production are crucial for replication efficiency. Regarding possible modes of action of the HIR, our model fits suggest that the HIR mainly affects DV RNA translation initiation, cytosolic DV RNA degradation, and naïve cell infection. We further analyzed the potential of direct acting antiviral drugs targeting different processes of the DV lifecycle in silico and found that targeting RNA synthesis and virus assembly and release are the most promising anti-DV drug targets.
Although antigen-specific priming of antibody responses is impaired during sepsis, there is nevertheless a strong increase in IgM and IgG serum concentrations. Using colon ascendens stent peritonitis (CASP), a mouse model of polymicrobial abdominal sepsis, we observed substantial increases in IgM as well as IgG of all subclasses, starting at day 3 and peaking 2 weeks after sepsis induction. The dominant source of antibody-secreting cells was by far the spleen, with a minor contribution of the mesenteric lymph nodes. Remarkably, sepsis induction in splenectomized mice did not change the dynamics of the serum IgM/IgG reaction, indicating that the marginal zone B cells, which almost exclusively reside in the spleen, are dispensable in such a setting. Hence, in systemic bacterial infection, the function of the spleen as dominant niche of antibody-producing cells can be compensated by extra-splenic B cell populations as well as other lymphoid organs. Depletion of CD4+ T cells did not affect the IgM response, while it impaired IgG generation of all subclasses with the exception of IgG3. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the robust class-switched antibody response in sepsis encompasses both T cell-dependent and -independent components.
Background: Mitochondrial dynamics are important for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. The mitochondrial elongation factor MiD51 has been proposed to act as an anchor that recruits Drp1 from the cytosol to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Whether MiD51 promotes mitochondrial fusion by inactivation of Drp1 is a controversial issue. Since both the underlying mechanism and the effects on mitochondrial function remain unknown, this study was conducted to investigate the role of MiD51 in beta cells.
Methods: Overexpression and downregulation of MiD51 in mouse insulinoma 6 (MIN6) and mouse islet cells was achieved using the pcDNA expression vector and specific siRNA, respectively. Expression of genes regulating mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy was analyzed by quantitative Real-Time PCR, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by ELISA, and cellular oxygen consumption rate by optode sensor technology. Mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology were visualized after TMRE and MitoTracker Green staining, respectively. Immunofluorescence analyses were examined by confocal microscopy.
Results: MiD51 is expressed in insulin-positive mouse and human pancreatic islet and MIN6 cells. Overexpression of MiD51 resulted in mitochondrial fragmentation and cluster formation in MIN6 cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential, glucose-induced oxygen consumption rate and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were reduced in MIN6 cells with high MiD51 expression. LC3 expression remained unchanged. Downregulation of MiD51 resulted in inhomogeneity of the mitochondrial network in MIN6 cells with hyperelongated and fragmented mitochondria. Mitochondrial membrane potential, maximal and glucose-induced oxygen consumption rate and insulin secretion were diminished in MIN6 cells with low MiD51 expression. Furthermore, reduced Mfn2 and Parkin expression was observed. Based on MiD51 overexpression and downregulation, changes in the mitochondrial network structure similar to those in MIN6 cells were also observed in mouse islet cells.
Conclusion: We have demonstrated that MiD51 plays a pivotal role in regulating mitochondrial function and hence insulin secretion in MIN6 cells. We propose that this anchor protein of Drp1 is important to maintain a homogeneous mitochondrial network and to avoid morphologies such as hyperelongation and clustering which are inaccessible for degradation by autophagy. Assuming that insulin granule degradation frequently suppresses autophagy in beta cells, MiD51 could be a key element maintaining mitochondrial health.
Staphylococcus aureussuperantigens (SAgs) are among the most potent T cell mitogensknown.They stimulate large fractions of T cells by cross-linking their T cell receptor withmajor histocompatibility complex class-II molecules on antigen presenting cells, resulting in Tcell proliferation and massive cytokine release. To date, 26 different SAgs have been described in thespeciesS. aureus; they comprise the toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1), as well as 25 staphylococcalenterotoxins (SEs) or enterotoxin-like proteins (SEls). SAgs can cause staphylococcal food poisoningand toxic shock syndrome and contribute to the clinical symptoms of staphylococcal infection. Inaddition, there is growing evidence that SAgs are involved in allergic diseases. This review providesan overview on recent epidemiological data on the involvement ofS. aureusSAgs and anti-SAg-IgEin allergy, demonstrating that being sensitized to SEs—in contrast to inhalant allergens—is associatedwith a severe disease course in patients with chronic airway inflammation. The mechanisms by whichSAgs trigger or amplify allergic immune responses, however, are not yet fully understood. Here, wediscuss known and hypothetical pathways by which SAgs can drive an atopic disease
For a long time the apocryphal Ladder of Jacob was accessible only in arbitrarily selected translations. Without a critical edition and a comprehensive study of the whole textual segment, scholars were unable to evaluate its significance for Early Jewish and Christian literature. Since 2015/17, with the publication of a new critical edition and German translation (accompanied by a detailed introduction, footnote commentaries and appendices with related texts), a new approach to this important but hitherto widely unknown text has been made possible. This approach verifies the different layers or strata in the text, which are: a supposed Jewish apocalypse (mid-second century), a Christian expansion of the angels speech in light of the praeparatio evangelica tradition (fourth–seventh centuries), a Jewish mystical prayer (eleventh century) and the incorporation of this narrative block into the Tolkovaja Paleja together with a series of exegetical commentaries (end of the thirteenth century). In the light of the new approach, it can be said that the Ladder of Jacob is most of all an outstanding example of mutual relations between Jewish and Christian theology.
Riociguat is one of several approved therapies available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Treatment should be initiated and monitored at an expert center by a physician experienced in treating PAH, and the dose adjusted in the absence of signs and symptoms of hypotension. In certain populations, including patients with hepatic or renal impairment, the elderly, and smokers, riociguat exposure may differ, and dose adjustments should therefore be made with caution according to the established scheme. Common adverse events are often easily managed, particularly if they are discussed before starting therapy. Combination therapy with riociguat and other PAH-targeted agents is feasible and generally well tolerated, although the coadministration of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) and riociguat is contraindicated. An open-label, randomized study is currently ongoing to assess whether patients who do not achieve treatment goals while receiving PDE5i may benefit from switching to riociguat. In this review, we provide a clinical view on the practical management of patients with PAH receiving riociguat, with a focus on the opinions and personal experience of the authors.
The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.
The giant protein titin performs structure-preserving functions in the sarcomere and is important for the passive stiffness (Fpassive) of cardiomyocytes. Protein kinase D (PKD) enzymes play crucial roles in regulating myocardial contraction, hypertrophy, and remodeling. PKD phosphorylates myofilament proteins, but it is not known whether the giant protein titin is also a PKD substrate. Here, we aimed to determine whether PKD phosphorylates titin and thereby modulates cardiomyocyte Fpassive in normal and failing myocardium. The phosphorylation of titin was assessed in cardiomyocyte-specific PKD knock-out mice (cKO) and human hearts using immunoblotting with a phosphoserine/threonine and a phosphosite-specific titin antibody. PKD-dependent site-specific titin phosphorylation in vivo was quantified by mass spectrometry using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) of SILAC-labeled mouse heart protein lysates that were mixed with lysates isolated from hearts of either wild-type control (WT) or cKO mice. Fpassive of single permeabilized cardiomyocytes was recorded before and after PKD and HSP27 administration. All-titin phosphorylation was reduced in cKO compared to WT hearts. Multiple conserved PKD-dependent phosphosites were identified within the Z-disk, A-band and M-band regions of titin by quantitative mass spectrometry, and many PKD-dependent phosphosites detected in the elastic titin I-band region were significantly decreased in cKO. Analysis of titin site-specific phosphorylation showed unaltered or upregulated phosphorylation in cKO compared to matched WT hearts. Fpassive was elevated in cKO compared to WT cardiomyocytes and PKD administration lowered Fpassive of WT and cKO cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients showed higher Fpassive compared to control hearts and significantly lower Fpassive after PKD treatment. In addition, we found higher phosphorylation at CaMKII-dependent titin sites in HCM compared to control hearts. Expression and phosphorylation of HSP27, a substrate of PKD, were elevated in HCM hearts, which was associated with increased PKD expression and phosphorylation. The relocalization of HSP27 in HCM away from the sarcomeric Z-disk and I-band suggested that HSP27 failed to exert its protective action on titin extensibility. This protection could, however, be restored by administration of HSP27, which significantly reduced Fpassive in HCM cardiomyocytes. These findings establish a previously unknown role for PKDin regulating diastolic passive properties of healthy and diseased hearts.
Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a mucosal alarmin belonging to the IL-1 cytokine family and is now recognized to have a key role in innate and adaptive immunity, contributing to tissue homeostasis and response to environmental stresses. In addition, IL-33 has also been shown to work as a positive regulator that initiates and maintains a Th2 immune response. In the context of pregnancy, it has been recently demonstrated that upon certain stress conditions, such as an infection induced inflammation, IL-33 is released from the uterine mucosa and triggers decidual B cells to produce anti-inflammatory molecules, which in turn restore immune homeostasis and prevents the development of preterm birth. In this study we therefore performed a detailed characterization of IL-33 receptor (Il1rl1 or ST2) expression in B cells during normal pregnancy, as well as in a mouse model of preterm birth. We observed that splenic B cells significantly up-regulate the expression of Il1rl1 during pregnancy and identified the B1 B cell population as the main ST2-expressing B cell subset. A further kinetic analysis showed that percentages of ST2-expressing B1 B cells are significantly augmented on days 12 and 14 of pregnancy, both in the spleen and peritoneal cavity of pregnant mice, and then drop toward the end of pregnancy to the levels observed in non-pregnant animals. Furthermore, using a mouse model of LPS-induced preterm birth, we demonstrated that not only are the percentages of ST2-expressing B1 B cells significantly enlarged in the spleen during the acute phase of preterm birth, but decidual B cells also significantly up-regulate ST2 expression as compared to term-pregnant mice. Overall, our results suggest a functional role of ST2 expression in B cells during pregnancy and reinforce the importance of the IL-33/ST2 axis in B cells as a critical mechanism to control inflammation-induced preterm birth.
Age-related deterioration in white and gray matter is linked to cognitive deficits. Reduced microstructure of the fornix, the major efferent pathway of the hippocampus, and volume of the dentate gyrus (DG), may cause age-associated memory decline. However, the linkage between these anatomical determinants and memory retrieval in healthy aging are poorly understood. In 30 older adults, we acquired diffusion tensor and T1-weighted images for individual deterministic tractography and volume estimation. A memory task, administered outside of the scanner to assess retrieval of learned associations, required discrimination of previously acquired picture-word pairs. The results showed that fornix fractional anisotropy (FA) and left DG volumes were related to successful retrieval. These brain-behavior associations were observed for correct rejections, but not hits, indicating specificity of memory network functioning for detecting false associations. Mediation analyses showed that left DG volume mediated the effect of fornix FA on memory (48%), but not vice versa. These findings suggest that reduced microstructure induces volume loss and thus negatively affects retrieval of learned associations, complementing evidence of a pivotal role of the fornix in healthy aging. Our study offers a neurobehavioral model to explain variability in memory retrieval in older adults, an important prerequisite for the development of interventions to counteract cognitive decline.