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Environmental activism, defined as a range of difficult pro-environmental behaviors, is analyzed within the conceptual framework of Significance Quest Theory (SQT). In Study 1, 40 interviews were carried out on two groups of people in the European Union: Committed Actors for Nature (CANs, n = 25) versus Committed Actors for Society (CASs, n = 15). Results demonstrated that Significance Quest (SQ) motivates each group to be strongly committed to their chosen action and the main difference between them being in their ideology (pro-social vs. pro-environmental). In Study 2 (N = 131), the relationship between SQ and intention to enact difficult pro-environmental behaviors was assessed. Results suggested that the higher the SQ, the higher the tendency to enact difficult pro-environmental behaviors, but not average or easy ones. Moreover, the higher the pro-environmental ideology, the stronger the indirect effect of SQ on difficult behavior through willingness to sacrifice.
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The striatum is one of the first brain regions that show detectable atrophy in HD. Previous studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 tesla (3 T) revealed reduced functional connectivity between striatum and motor cortex in the prodromal period of HD. Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies have suggested segregated corticostriatal pathways with distinct loops involving different cortical regions, which may be investigated using fMRI at an ultra-high field (7 T) with enhanced sensitivity compared to lower fields. Objectives: We performed fMRI at 7 T to assess functional connectivity between the striatum and several chosen cortical areas including the motor and prefrontal cortex, in order to better understand brain changes in the striatum-cortical pathways. Method: 13 manifest subjects (age 51 ± 13 years, cytosine-adenine-guanine [CAG] repeat 45 ± 5, Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale [UHDRS] motor score 32 ± 17), 8 subjects in the close-to-onset premanifest period (age 38 ± 10 years, CAG repeat 44 ± 2, UHDRS motor score 8 ± 2), 11 subjects in the far-from-onset premanifest period (age 38 ± 11 years, CAG repeat 42 ± 2, UHDRS motor score 1 ± 2), and 16 healthy controls (age 44 ± 15 years) were studied. The functional connectivity between the striatum and several cortical areas was measured by resting state fMRI at 7 T and analyzed in all participants. Results: Compared to controls, functional connectivity between striatum and premotor area, supplementary motor area, inferior frontal as well as middle frontal regions was altered in HD (all p values <0.001). Specifically, decreased striatum-motor connectivity but increased striatum-prefrontal connectivity were found in premanifest HD subjects. Altered functional connectivity correlated consistently with genetic burden, but not with clinical scores. Conclusions: Differential changes in functional connectivity of striatum-prefrontal and striatum-motor circuits can be found in early and premanifest HD. This may imply a compensatory mechanism, where additional cortical regions are recruited to subserve functions that have been impaired due to HD pathology. Our results suggest the potential value of functional connectivity as a marker for future clinical trials in HD.
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.
Introduction: Senior urology physicians represent a heterogeneous group covering various clinical priorities and career objectives. No reliable data on gender-specific variations among senior urology physicians are available concerning professional and personal aspects. Methods: The objective of this study was to analyze professional perspectives, professional and personal settings, and individual career goals. A Web-based survey containing 55 items was designed which was available for senior physicians at German urologic centers between February and April 2019. Gender-specific differences were evaluated using bootstrap-adjusted multivariate logistic regression models. Results: One hundred and ninety-two surveys were evaluable including 29 female senior physicians (15.1%). Ninety-five percent would choose urology again as their field of specialization – with no significant gender-specific difference. 81.2% of participants rate the position of senior physician as a desirable career goal (comparing sexes: p = 0.220). Based on multivariate models, male participants self-assessed themselves significantly more frequently autonomously safe performing laparoscopic, open, and endourologic surgery. Male senior physicians declared 7 times more often to run for the position of head of department/full professor. Conclusion: This first study on professional and personal aspects among senior urology physicians demonstrates gender-specific variations concerning self-assessment of surgical expertise and future career goals. The creation of well-orchestrated human resources development strategies especially adapted to the needs of female urologists seems advisable.
Abstract
This article compares the use of calques modelled on anglicisms in different European languages, especially Spanish and German, which do not only show structural differences (e.g. with regard to the use of noun-noun compounds, which are more common in German) but also reflect different attitudes towards English. Aspects covered range from the factors generally favouring the coinage of such replacive forms, to the reasons for the emergence of different types of calques, to variations in their use and challenges concerning their identification. To unravel the main patterns and trends in calquing, this study includes numerous examples from written and oral language, i.e. items of different register affiliation, age, length, and semantic transparency. On a theoretical level, the article incorporates findings from the fields of lexicology, contact linguistics and sociolinguistics.
A 2-day workshop of ORCA and the IADR Cariology Research Group was organized to discuss and reach consensus on definitions of the most commonly used terms in cariology. The aims were to identify and to select the most commonly used terms of dental caries and dental caries management and to define them based on current concepts. Terms related to definition, diagnosis, risk assessment, and monitoring of dental caries were included. The Delphi process was used to establish terms to be considered using the nominal group method favored by consensus. Of 222 terms originally suggested by six cariologists from different countries, a total of 59 terms were reviewed after removing duplicates and unnecessary words. Sixteen experts in cariology took part in the process of reaching consensus about the definitions of the selected caries terms. Decisions were made following thorough “round table” discussions of each term and confirmed by secret electronic voting. Full agreement (100%) was reached on 17 terms, while the definitions of 6 terms were below the agreed 80% threshold of consensus. The suggested terminology is recommended for use in research, in public health, as well as in clinical practice.
A 2-day workshop of ORCA and the IADR Cariology Research Group was organized to discuss and reach consensus on definitions of the most commonly used terms in cariology. The aims were to identify and to select the most commonly used terms of dental caries and dental caries management and to define them based on current concepts. Terms related to definition, diagnosis, risk assessment, and monitoring of dental caries were included. The Delphi process was used to establish terms to be considered using the nominal group method favored by consensus. Of 222 terms originally suggested by six cariologists from different countries, a total of 59 terms were reviewed after removing duplicates and unnecessary words. Sixteen experts in cariology took part in the process of reaching consensus about the definitions of the selected caries terms. Decisions were made following thorough “round table” discussions of each term and confirmed by secret electronic voting. Full agreement (100%) was reached on 17 terms, while the definitions of 6 terms were below the agreed 80% threshold of consensus. The suggested terminology is recommended for use in research, in public health, as well as in clinical practice.
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The striatum is one of the first brain regions that show detectable atrophy in HD. Previous studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 tesla (3 T) revealed reduced functional connectivity between striatum and motor cortex in the prodromal period of HD. Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies have suggested segregated corticostriatal pathways with distinct loops involving different cortical regions, which may be investigated using fMRI at an ultra-high field (7 T) with enhanced sensitivity compared to lower fields. Objectives: We performed fMRI at 7 T to assess functional connectivity between the striatum and several chosen cortical areas including the motor and prefrontal cortex, in order to better understand brain changes in the striatum-cortical pathways. Method: 13 manifest subjects (age 51 ± 13 years, cytosine-adenine-guanine [CAG] repeat 45 ± 5, Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale [UHDRS] motor score 32 ± 17), 8 subjects in the close-to-onset premanifest period (age 38 ± 10 years, CAG repeat 44 ± 2, UHDRS motor score 8 ± 2), 11 subjects in the far-from-onset premanifest period (age 38 ± 11 years, CAG repeat 42 ± 2, UHDRS motor score 1 ± 2), and 16 healthy controls (age 44 ± 15 years) were studied. The functional connectivity between the striatum and several cortical areas was measured by resting state fMRI at 7 T and analyzed in all participants. Results: Compared to controls, functional connectivity between striatum and premotor area, supplementary motor area, inferior frontal as well as middle frontal regions was altered in HD (all p values <0.001). Specifically, decreased striatum-motor connectivity but increased striatum-prefrontal connectivity were found in premanifest HD subjects. Altered functional connectivity correlated consistently with genetic burden, but not with clinical scores. Conclusions: Differential changes in functional connectivity of striatum-prefrontal and striatum-motor circuits can be found in early and premanifest HD. This may imply a compensatory mechanism, where additional cortical regions are recruited to subserve functions that have been impaired due to HD pathology. Our results suggest the potential value of functional connectivity as a marker for future clinical trials in HD.
Long-term nationally representative caries data in the primary dentition are rare, but nonetheless central to assess needs in caries prevention and treatment. This study evaluated the prevalence and trends of caries levels in the primary dentition of 6- to 7-year-olds in Germany as a whole and its federal states individually. In 2016, employing a randomized cluster selection, 6- to 7-year-old first graders were included in the National German Oral Health Survey performed regularly since 1994/95. Children were examined by 482 calibrated dentists in all 17 German regions using the WHO criteria for the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) including the assessment of initial carious lesions (it). In total, 151,555 6- to 7-year-olds were examined. Caries prevalence in the primary dentition dropped from 65% in 1994 to 44% in 2016, while the mean caries experience dropped from 2.89 to 1.73 dmft (dt = 0.74, mt = 0.19, ft = 0.80). When initial lesions were included, the mean caries experience increased to idmft = 2.12 (it = 0.38). In 2016, 49.7% of the examined 6- to 7-year-olds were caries-free including initial lesions. The Care Index at the tooth level was 57.5%, and the Significant Caries Index was 4.84 dmft. Depending on the German region, the mean dmft varied considerably, ranging from 1.37 to 2.31. In conclusion, despite the overall caries decline in 6- to 7-year-olds in Germany, only minor caries reductions were observed over the last decade, with a still existing high proportion of untreated dental decay. This calls for more effective preventive and restorative efforts with focus on the primary dentition in Germany.
Objectives: Performing proper toothbrushing is a complicated process for children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a smartphone app for improving manual toothbrushing via a gravitation sensor. Methods: In this prospective, controlled, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial, 49 children (mean age 5.1 ± 0.6 years, 27 female) were randomly assigned to test (n = 26) and control (n = 23) groups. All children were provided with manual toothbrushes with an integrated gravitation sensor and they received oral health instructions. Only the children of the test group got an additional smartphone app to visualize and reward proper brushing in form and time. At baseline and recalls after 6 and 12 weeks, plaque and gingival indices (QHI, PBI) were recorded for analysis between the two groups. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences between the test and control group regarding plaque and gingival indices (QHI: 2.36 ± 0.7 and 2.42 ± 0.8; p = 0.94; PBI: 0.42 ± 0.2 and 0.47 ± 0.3; p = 0.59). At the 6- and 12-week recalls, the test group showed statistically significantly better oral health indices than the controls (6-week recall, QHI: 0.8 ±0.5 and 1.88 ± 0.9; p < 0.001; PBI: 0.08 ± 0.1 and 0.26 ± 0.2; p < 0.001; 12-week recall, QHI: 0.44 ± 0.5 and 1.49 ± 0.7; p < 0.001; PBI: 0.05 ± 0.18 and 0.21 ± 0.1; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results highlight the enormous possibilities of a toothbrushing application via the smartphone, at least for medium-term oral hygiene improvement in preschool children and even after excluding the app. The long-term effect should also be investigated to exclude the expected novelty effect.
40-Year Longitudinal Caries Development in German Adolescents in the Light of New Caries Measures
(2019)
This study assessed the 40-year longitudinal caries development in German adolescents in the light of the sixth National Oral Health Survey in Children (NOHSC, 2016) employing initial DMFT (IDMFT), Significant Caries Index (SiC) and Specific Affected Caries Index (SaC). On the basis of the current NOHSC (randomized cluster selection using school list or regional community school surveys, 55,956 12-year-old sixth-graders examined by 482 calibrated community/study dentists) DMFT, SiC, a novel IDMFT including initial lesions (IT) and the recently introduced SaC were calculated and also recalculated for national and international surveys from the last 4 decades. In 2016, 78.8% of children were caries-free (DMFT = 0), 65.5% including IT lesions. The mean DMFT was 0.44 (single components: DT = 0.14, MT = 0.02, FT = 0.29, IT = 0.52) showing a clear association with the school type as marker for the socio-economic status. The mean number of affected teeth in children with DMFT >0 was 2.07 (SaC) in comparison to almost 9 teeth in the 1970s. The current care index on the tooth level was 66.3%, leaving only 7.7% of children with restorative treatment needs. Longitudinally, a continuous caries decline of more than 80%, including the risk groups (SiC/SaC), to an internationally extremely low level was observed. In conclusion, the National Oral Health Surveys reveal a continuous caries decline to a very low caries level in 12-year-old 6th-graders in Germany even if IT lesions are included (IDMFT). In spite of proportional reductions in the risk groups (SiC/SaC), the polarized caries distribution according to socio-economic parameters reveals the need for targeted preventive programmes.
Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) refer to any report coming directly from patients about how they function or feel in relation to a health condition or its therapy. PROs have been applied in medicine for the assessment of the impact of clinical phenomena. Self-report scales and procedures for assessing physical pain in adults have been developed and used in clinical trials. However, insufficient attention has been dedicated to the assessment of mental pain. The aim of this paper is to outline the implications that assessment of mental pain may entail in psychiatry and medicine, with particular reference to a clinimetric index. A simple 10-item self-rating questionnaire, the Mental Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), encompasses the specific clinical features of mental pain and shows good clinimetric properties (i.e., sensitivity, discriminant and incremental validity). The preliminary data suggest that the MPQ may qualify as a PRO measure to be included in clinical trials. Assessment of mental pain may have important clinical implications in intervention research, both in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. The transdiagnostic features of mental pain are supported by its association with a number of psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, as well as borderline personality disorder. Further, addressing mental pain may be an important pathway to prevent and diminish the opioid epidemic. The data summarized here indicate that mental pain can be incorporated into current psychiatric assessment and included as a PRO measure in treatment outcome studies.
Up to now, indices like the mean dmft/DMFT and the SiC (Significant Caries Index) have been used to depict caries experience in populations with high prevalence. With the caries decline, particularly for populations with low caries levels, these indices reach their statistical limits. This paper aims to introduce a specific term, the Specific affected Caries Index (SaC) for the risk groups in populations with low caries prevalence and to illustrate its use based on the consecutive German National Oral Health Survey (GNOHS) in children. In groups with a caries prevalence less than one-third of the population, many caries-free children (DMFT = 0) are included in the SiC (risk group), which calls for a new way of illustration. Mean caries experience (DMFT), caries prevalence, the SiC and SaC were portrayed for 12-year-olds in the GNOHS from 1994/95 to 2016. The SaC describes the mean caries experience (DMFT) in the group presenting caries experience (DMFT > 0). In 12-year-old 6th graders in Germany, the mean caries experience decreased from 2.4 (1994/95) to 0.4 DMFT (2016), with a recent prevalence of 21.2% (DMFT > 0, 2016). In 2016, the mean number of affected teeth in children with DMFT > 0 (SaC) was 2.1, while the SiC including 12% DMFT-free children in the risk group was 1.3. The SiC fails to reflect the caries severity in children in a population with low caries prevalence. Therefore, the newly introduced term Specific affected Caries Index (SaC) may be used to describe accurately caries experience in caries risk children in populations presenting low caries prevalence.
Introduction: Senior urology physicians represent a heterogeneous group covering various clinical priorities and career objectives. No reliable data on gender-specific variations among senior urology physicians are available concerning professional and personal aspects. Methods: The objective of this study was to analyze professional perspectives, professional and personal settings, and individual career goals. A Web-based survey containing 55 items was designed which was available for senior physicians at German urologic centers between February and April 2019. Gender-specific differences were evaluated using bootstrap-adjusted multivariate logistic regression models. Results: One hundred and ninety-two surveys were evaluable including 29 female senior physicians (15.1%). Ninety-five percent would choose urology again as their field of specialization – with no significant gender-specific difference. 81.2% of participants rate the position of senior physician as a desirable career goal (comparing sexes: p = 0.220). Based on multivariate models, male participants self-assessed themselves significantly more frequently autonomously safe performing laparoscopic, open, and endourologic surgery. Male senior physicians declared 7 times more often to run for the position of head of department/full professor. Conclusion: This first study on professional and personal aspects among senior urology physicians demonstrates gender-specific variations concerning self-assessment of surgical expertise and future career goals. The creation of well-orchestrated human resources development strategies especially adapted to the needs of female urologists seems advisable.
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.
Background: Self-stigma is a result of internalizing negative stereotypes by the affected person. Research on self-stigma in substance use disorders (SUD) is still scarce, especially regarding the role of childhood trauma and subsequent posttraumatic disorders. Objectives: The present study investigated the progressive model of self-stigma in women with SUD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the predictive value of PTSD severity and childhood trauma experiences on self-stigma. Method: In a cross-sectional study with 343 women with SUD and PTSD, we used the Self-Stigma in Alcohol Dependency Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the PTSD Symptom Scale Interview (PSS-I), and to control for SUD severity and depression, the Addiction Severity Index Lite and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each stage of self-stigma (aware-agree-apply-harm). Results: The interrelated successive stages of self-stigma were largely confirmed. In the regression models, no significant effects of the PSS-I- and the CTQ-scores were observed at any stage of self-stigma. Agreeing with negative stereotypes was solely predicted by younger age, applying these stereotypes to oneself was higher in women with younger age, higher depression and SUD severity, and suffering from the application (harm) was only predicted by depression. Conclusions: The progressive model of self-stigma could be confirmed in women with SUD and PTSD, but PTSD severity and childhood trauma did not directly affect this process. Self-stigma appears to be related to depression in a stronger way than PTSD is related to women with SUD and PTSD.
Background: Self-stigma is a result of internalizing negative stereotypes by the affected person. Research on self-stigma in substance use disorders (SUD) is still scarce, especially regarding the role of childhood trauma and subsequent posttraumatic disorders. Objectives: The present study investigated the progressive model of self-stigma in women with SUD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the predictive value of PTSD severity and childhood trauma experiences on self-stigma. Method: In a cross-sectional study with 343 women with SUD and PTSD, we used the Self-Stigma in Alcohol Dependency Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the PTSD Symptom Scale Interview (PSS-I), and to control for SUD severity and depression, the Addiction Severity Index Lite and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each stage of self-stigma (aware-agree-apply-harm). Results: The interrelated successive stages of self-stigma were largely confirmed. In the regression models, no significant effects of the PSS-I- and the CTQ-scores were observed at any stage of self-stigma. Agreeing with negative stereotypes was solely predicted by younger age, applying these stereotypes to oneself was higher in women with younger age, higher depression and SUD severity, and suffering from the application (harm) was only predicted by depression. Conclusions: The progressive model of self-stigma could be confirmed in women with SUD and PTSD, but PTSD severity and childhood trauma did not directly affect this process. Self-stigma appears to be related to depression in a stronger way than PTSD is related to women with SUD and PTSD.
Abstract
This article compares the use of calques modelled on anglicisms in different European languages, especially Spanish and German, which do not only show structural differences (e.g. with regard to the use of noun-noun compounds, which are more common in German) but also reflect different attitudes towards English. Aspects covered range from the factors generally favouring the coinage of such replacive forms, to the reasons for the emergence of different types of calques, to variations in their use and challenges concerning their identification. To unravel the main patterns and trends in calquing, this study includes numerous examples from written and oral language, i.e. items of different register affiliation, age, length, and semantic transparency. On a theoretical level, the article incorporates findings from the fields of lexicology, contact linguistics and sociolinguistics.
BK polyomavirus-associated haemorrhagic cystitis (BKHC) is a complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which can occur in 5–60% of the cases. BK viruria alone can also occur in up to 100%. BKHC can lead to severe morbidity in stem cell-transplanted patients, but data about this disease is limited. Consequently, we conducted a prospective unicentric non-interventional trial on BKHC as well as BK viruria after first adult allogeneic stem cell transplantation with a follow-up time of 1 year after inpatient treatment. Between November 2013 and December 2015, we were able to include 40 adult patients with a mean age of 52.8 years. Twenty-seven (67.5%) of these patients were male and 13 (32.5%) were female. Acute myeloid leukaemia was the most frequent underlying disease (n = 15; 37.5%). Only 1 patient developed BKHC during inpatient treatment (n = 1; 2.5%), but BK viruria was frequent (n = 11; 27.5%) during inpatient treatment as well as in the follow-up time (n = 14; 35%). Interestingly, BK viruria was significantly associated with mucositis (p = 0.038) and number of transfused platelet concentrates (p = 0.001). This unexpected association will be discussed and needs further investigation.
Die Macht der Interpretation
(2019)
Abstract
The article treats the problem of interpretation in its respect to reality by example of Umberto Eco’s moderate ‚realistic‘ position and his criticism of Friedrich Nietzsche, the “father” of postmodernism. Here the strongest arguments on both sides are evaluated: Eco’s “negative realism” pointing out the impossibility of some interpretations and Nietzsche’s thinking out the absolute absence of a privileged position proceeding from which it would be possible to unequivocally identify what is real. The article argues that the crucial point why some interpretations may prove to be stronger or weaker is best described in terms of the concept of power. One however should avoid misconceptions, since power itself is interpretation which nevertheless allows for the gradation of reality, the mobility of its horizons, their shifting and even their potential availability. A much-disputed question of prehistoric times as well as that of death as a limit of interpretability is inter alia included in the analysis. Both classical anti-realistic positions, such as that of Wittgenstein, and the argumentation of contemporary advocates of realism, such as Quentin Meillassoux, are taken into consideration.
Die Macht der Interpretation
(2019)
Abstract
The article treats the problem of interpretation in its respect to reality by example of Umberto Eco’s moderate ‚realistic‘ position and his criticism of Friedrich Nietzsche, the “father” of postmodernism. Here the strongest arguments on both sides are evaluated: Eco’s “negative realism” pointing out the impossibility of some interpretations and Nietzsche’s thinking out the absolute absence of a privileged position proceeding from which it would be possible to unequivocally identify what is real. The article argues that the crucial point why some interpretations may prove to be stronger or weaker is best described in terms of the concept of power. One however should avoid misconceptions, since power itself is interpretation which nevertheless allows for the gradation of reality, the mobility of its horizons, their shifting and even their potential availability. A much-disputed question of prehistoric times as well as that of death as a limit of interpretability is inter alia included in the analysis. Both classical anti-realistic positions, such as that of Wittgenstein, and the argumentation of contemporary advocates of realism, such as Quentin Meillassoux, are taken into consideration.
BK polyomavirus-associated haemorrhagic cystitis (BKHC) is a complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which can occur in 5–60% of the cases. BK viruria alone can also occur in up to 100%. BKHC can lead to severe morbidity in stem cell-transplanted patients, but data about this disease is limited. Consequently, we conducted a prospective unicentric non-interventional trial on BKHC as well as BK viruria after first adult allogeneic stem cell transplantation with a follow-up time of 1 year after inpatient treatment. Between November 2013 and December 2015, we were able to include 40 adult patients with a mean age of 52.8 years. Twenty-seven (67.5%) of these patients were male and 13 (32.5%) were female. Acute myeloid leukaemia was the most frequent underlying disease (n = 15; 37.5%). Only 1 patient developed BKHC during inpatient treatment (n = 1; 2.5%), but BK viruria was frequent (n = 11; 27.5%) during inpatient treatment as well as in the follow-up time (n = 14; 35%). Interestingly, BK viruria was significantly associated with mucositis (p = 0.038) and number of transfused platelet concentrates (p = 0.001). This unexpected association will be discussed and needs further investigation.
Research has shown that parental pressure is negatively whereas parental support is positively associated with various scholastic outcomes, such as school engagement, motivation, and achievement. However, only few studies investigate boys' and girls' perception of mother and father pressure/support in detail. This might be particularly essential when it comes to girls' and boys' achievement in STEM subjects, as girls and boys might profit differently from parental pressure/support regarding their achievement in STEM and vice versa. This study aims to shed light on this topic and explores potential within—and over time associations between students' perception of parental pressure/support and grades in mathematics and biology. Using self-report data from 1,088 8th grade students at T1 (Mage = 13.70, SD = 0.53, 54% girls) from Brandenburg, Germany, multigroup cross-lagged models were conceptualized with Mplus. The results indicate that there are gender differences in the interplay of students' grades in mathematics, biology, and their perception of parental pressure and support: Whereas, mother support plays a central beneficial role for girls' achievement in STEM subjects as well as for the other parental variables over time, for boys mother support is negatively associated with math performance over time. Within-time associations further show that boys—in contrast to girls—do not benefit from any parental support regarding their performance in mathematics or biology. Finally, results suggest that the relationship between adolescents' STEM achievement and parental pressure/support is rather mono-directional than bi-directional over time.
The Role of Evidence-Based Practice in German Special Education—State of Research and Discussion
(2019)
Extracts from the leaves and flowers of Crataegus spp. (i.e., hawthorn species) have been traditionally used with documented preclinical and clinical activities in cardiovascular medicine. Based on reported positive effects on heart muscle after ischemic injury and the overall cardioprotective profile, the present study addressed potential contributions of Crataegus extracts to cardiopoietic differentiation from stem cells. The quantified Crataegus extract WS®1442 stimulated cardiomyogenesis from murine and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Mechanistically, this effect was found to be induced by promoting differentiation of cardiovascular progenitor cell populations but not by proliferation. Bioassay-guided fractionation, phytochemical and analytical profiling suggested high-molecular weight ingredients as the active principle with at least part of the activity due to oligomeric procyanidines (OPCs) with a degree of polymerization between 3 and 6 (DP3–6). Transcriptome profiling in mESCs suggested two main, plausible mechanisms: These were early, stress-associated cellular events along with the modulation of distinct developmental pathways, including the upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and retinoic acid as well as the inhibition of transforming growth factor β/bone morphogenetic protein (TGFβ/BMP) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. In addition, WS®1442 stimulated angiogenesis ex vivo in Sca-1+ progenitor cells from adult mice hearts. These in vitro data provide evidence for a differentiation promoting activity of WS®1442 on distinct cardiovascular stem/progenitor cells that could be valuable for therapeutic heart regeneration after myocardial infarction. However, the in vivo relevance of this new pharmacological activity of Crataegus spp. remains to be investigated and active ingredients from bioactive fractions will have to be further characterized.
Type I interferonopathies cover a phenotypically heterogeneous group of rare genetic diseases including the recently described proteasome-associated autoinflammatory syndromes (PRAAS). By definition, PRAAS are caused by inherited and/or de novo loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding proteasome subunits such as PSMB8, PSMB9, PSMB7, PSMA3, or proteasome assembly factors including POMP and PSMG2, respectively. Disruption of any of these subunits results in perturbed intracellular protein homeostasis including accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins which is accompanied by a type I interferon (IFN) signature. The observation that, similarly to pathogens, proteasome dysfunctions are potent type I IFN inducers is quite unexpected and, up to now, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this process remain largely unknown. One promising candidate for triggering type I IFN under sterile conditions is the unfolded protein response (UPR) which is typically initiated in response to an accumulation of unfolded and/or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (also referred to as ER stress). The recent observation that the UPR is engaged in subjects carrying POMP mutations strongly suggests its possible implication in the cause-and-effect relationship between proteasome impairment and interferonopathy onset. The purpose of this present review is therefore to discuss the possible role of the UPR in the pathogenesis of PRAAS. We will particularly focus on pathways initiated by the four ER-membrane proteins ATF6, PERK, IRE1-α, and TCF11/Nrf1 which undergo activation under proteasome inhibition. An overview of the current understanding of the mechanisms and potential cross-talk between the UPR and inflammatory signaling casacades is provided to convey a more integrated picture of the pathophysiology of PRAAS and shed light on potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Staphylococcus aureus has acquired resistance to antibiotics since their first use. The S. aureus protein NorA, an efflux pump belonging to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), contributes to resistance to fluoroquinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin), biocides, dyes, quaternary ammonium compounds, and antiseptics. Different compounds have been identified as potential efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) of NorA that result in increased intracellular concentration of antibiotics, restoring their antibacterial activity and cell susceptibility. However, none of the currently known EPIs have been approved for clinical use, probably due to their toxicity profiles. In the present study, we screened approved drugs for possible efflux pump inhibition. By screening a compound library of approximately 1200 different drugs, we identified nilotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as showing the best efflux pump inhibitory activity, with a fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.1875, indicating synergism with ciprofloxacin, and a minimum effective concentration as low as 0.195 μM. Moreover, at 0.39 μM, nilotinib, in combination with 8 μg/mL of ciprofloxacin, led to a significant reduction in biofilm formation and preformed mature biofilms. This is the first description of an approved drug that can be used as an efflux pump inhibitor and to reduce biofilms formation at clinically achievable concentrations.
Duckweeds include the world's smallest and fastest growing flowering plants that have the capacity to produce huge biomass with a broad range of potential applications like production of feed and food, biofuel and biogas. In order to achieve optimal and sustainable commercial system, it is necessary that suitable species and clones of duckweeds be identified and selected based on appropriate strategies. However, a high degree of reduction in their structural complexity poses serious problems in identification of closely related species of duckweeds, on a morphological basis. Use of molecular taxonomic tools is the present solution. The state of the art of molecular taxonomy of all the five genera of duckweeds (Spirodela, Landoltia, Lemna, Wolffiella, and Wolffia) is based mainly on the techniques of fingerprinting by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and barcoding using sequences of plastidic DNA fragments. After more than 15 years of molecular taxonomic investigations, a certain viewpoint is now available demonstrating all five genera to be monophyletic. Also, the phenetic analyses had made huge progress in delineating the currently defined 36 species of duckweeds, although, all species cannot yet be defined with confidence. Wolffiella has turned out to be the most complicated genus as only 6 to 7 species out of the 10 can be reliably delineated. Further progress in the phylogenetic and phenetic analyses requires more advanced methods like next generation and/or whole genome sequencing. First results using the method genotyping-by-sequencing in the genus Lemna (in combination with metabolomic profiling by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass-spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) as well as AFLP and barcoding by plastidic sequences) are more promising: The species Lemna valdiviana and Lemna yungensis were united to one species, Lemna valdiviana. This reduced the total number of Lemnaceae species to 36.
The Spider Anatomy Ontology (SPD)—A Versatile Tool to Link Anatomy with Cross-Disciplinary Data
(2019)
Stigma of Mental Illness in Germans and Turkish Immigrants in Germany: The Effect of Causal Beliefs
(2019)
Background: Stigma poses an additional burden for people suffering from mental illness, one that often impairs their social participation and can prevent them from seeking adequate help. It is therefore crucial to understand how stigma develops in order to counteract it by setting up effective evidence-based anti-stigma interventions. The present study examines the effect of causal beliefs on stigmatizing behavioral intentions, namely people's desire to distance themselves from persons with mental illness. In addition, we draw cross-cultural comparisons between native Germans and Turkish immigrants to investigate the influence of culture on stigma and causal beliefs and to broaden knowledge on the biggest immigrant group in Germany and on immigrants in Western countries in general.
Methods: n = 302 native Germans and n = 173 Turkish immigrants were presented either a depression or a schizophrenia vignette. Then, causal beliefs, emotional reaction and desire for social distance were assessed with questionnaires. Path analyses were carried out to investigate the influence of causal beliefs on the desire for social distance and their mediation by emotional reactions for Germans and Turkish immigrants, respectively.
Results: We found an influence of causal beliefs on the desire for social distance. Emotional reactions partly mediated this relationship. Causal attribution patterns as well as the relationship between causal attributions and stigma varied across both subsamples and mental illnesses. In the German subsample, the ascription of unfavorable personal traits resulted in more stigma. In the Turkish immigrant subsample, supernatural causal beliefs increased stigma while attribution to current stress reduced stigma.
Conclusion: Our study has implications for future anti-stigma interventions that intend to reduce stigmatization of mentally ill people. Targeting the ascription of unfavorable personal traits and supernatural causal attributions as well as promoting current stress as the cause for mental illness appears to be of particular importance. Also, the mediating influence of emotional responses to causal beliefs needs to be addressed. Furthermore, differential interventions across cultural groups and specific mental illnesses may be appropriate.
Despite major research interest regarding gender differences in emotion regulation, it is still not clear whether men and women differ in their basic capacity to implement specific emotion regulation strategies, as opposed to indications of the habitual use of these strategies in self-reports. Similarly, little is known on how such basic capacities relate to indices of well-being in both sexes. This study took a novel approach by investigating gender differences in the capacity for generating cognitive reappraisals in adverse situations in a sample of 67 female and 59 male students, using a maximum performance test of the inventiveness in generating reappraisals. Participants’ self-perceived efficacy in emotion regulation was additionally assessed. Analyses showed that men and women did not differ in their basic capacity to generate alternative appraisals for anxiety-eliciting scenarios, suggesting similar functional cognitive mechanisms in the implementation of this strategy. Yet, higher cognitive reappraisal capacity predicted fewer depressive daily-life experiences in men only. These findings suggest that in the case of cognitive reappraisal, benefits for well-being in women might depend on a more complex combination of basic ability, habits, and efficacy-beliefs, along with the use of other emotion regulation strategies. The results of this study may have useful implications for psychotherapy research and practice.
Clostridioides difficile is an intestinal human pathogen that uses the opportunity of a depleted microbiota to cause an infection. It is known, that the composition of the intestinal bile acid cocktail has a great impact on the susceptibility toward a C. difficile infection. However, the specific response of growing C. difficile cells to diverse bile acids on the molecular level has not been described yet. In this study, we recorded proteome signatures of shock and long-term (LT) stress with the four main bile acids cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), and lithocholic acid (LCA). A general overlapping response to all tested bile acids could be determined particularly in shock experiments which appears plausible in the light of their common steroid structure. However, during LT stress several proteins showed an altered abundance in the presence of only a single or a few of the bile acids indicating the existence of specific adaptation mechanisms. Our results point at a differential induction of the groEL and dnaKJgrpE chaperone systems, both belonging to the class I heat shock genes. Additionally, central metabolic pathways involving butyrate fermentation and the reductive Stickland fermentation of leucine were effected, although CA caused a proteome signature different from the other three bile acids. Furthermore, quantitative proteomics revealed a loss of flagellar proteins in LT stress with LCA. The absence of flagella could be substantiated by electron microscopy which also indicated less flagellated cells in the presence of DCA and CDCA and no influence on flagella formation by CA. Our data break down the bile acid stress response of C. difficile into a general and a specific adaptation. The latter cannot simply be divided into a response to primary and secondary bile acids, but rather reflects a complex and variable adaptation process enabling C. difficile to survive and to cause an infection in the intestinal tract.
Solid Phase Assembly of Fully Protected Trinucleotide Building Blocks for Codon-Based Gene Synthesis
(2019)
Vitamin B6 deficiency during pregnancy translates into a severe vitamin B6 deficiency (plasma levels decreased by 97%) in new-born rats. Further, hallmarks are increased (+89%) concentrations of homocysteine, gross changes in gene methylation and expression, and metabolic alterations including lipid metabolism. This study focuses on determining the effects of vitamin B6-deficiency on cardiolipin composition and oxidative phosphorylation in liver. For this purpose, hepatic cardiolipin composition was analyzed by means of LC/MS/MS, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption was determined by using a Clark-type electrode in a rat model of vitamin B6 deficiency. Liver mitochondria from new-born rats with pre-term vitamin B6 deficiency responded with substantial alterations in cardiolipin composition that include the following changes in the amounts of cardiolipin incorporated fatty acids: increase in C16, decrease in C18, decrease in saturated fatty acid, as well as increase in amount of oxidized cardiolipin species. These changes were accompanied by significantly decreased capacity of oxidative phosphorylation. In conclusion, vitamin B6 deficiency in new born rats induces massive alterations of cardiolipin composition and function of liver mitochondria. These findings support the importance of sufficient periconceptional supply of vitamin B6 to prevent vitamin B6 deficiency.
Impact statement
Vitamin B6 (VitB6) is an active co-enzyme for more than 150 enzymes and is required for a great diversity of biosynthesis and metabolic reactions. There is an increased need for VitB6 during pregnancy and sufficient supply of VitB6 is crucial for the prevention of cleft palate and neural tube defects. We show that liver mitochondria from new-born rats with pre-term VitB6 deficiency respond with substantial alterations in cardiolipin (CL) composition and in the amount of oxidized CL species. These changes are associated with a decrease in the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. The results of this study support the significance of sufficient supply of VitB6 during pregnancy (and periconceptional) for diminishing the number of early abortions and minimizing malformation. The established link between VitB6 deficiency, CL composition, and mitochondrial respiration/energy production provides mechanistic insight as to how the VitB6 deficiency translates into the known pathophysiological and clinically relevant conditions.