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In the face of the worldwide COVIV-19 pandemic, refugees represent a particularly vulnerable group with respect to access to health care and information regarding preventive behavior. In an online survey the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale, self-reported changes in preventive and risk behaviors, knowledge about COVID-19, and psychopathological symptoms (PHQ-4) were assessed. The convenience sample consisted of n = 76 refugees (n = 45 Arabic speaking, n = 31 Farsi speaking refugees) and n = 76 German controls matched with respect to age and sex. Refugees reported a significantly larger fear of infection, significantly less knowledge about COVID-19, and a higher frequency of maladaptive behavior, as compared to the control group. This study shows that refugees are more vulnerable to fear of infection and maladaptive behaviors than controls. Culturally adapted, easily accessible education about COVID-19 may be beneficial in improving knowledge and preventive behaviors related to COVID-19.
Culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (CA-CBT) is a well-evaluated, transdiagnostic group intervention for refugees that uses psychoeducation, meditation, and stretching exercises. In the current study, we added problem-solving training to CA-CBT and evaluated this treatment (i.e., CA-CBT+) in a randomized controlled pilot trial with a sample of Farsi-speaking refugees. Participants (N = 24) were male refugees diagnosed with DSM-5 PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders who were randomly assigned to either a treatment or waitlist control (WLC) condition. Treatment components were adapted both to the specific cultural background and the current social problems of asylum seekers. Assessments were performed pretreatment, 12-weeks posttreatment, and 1-year follow-up. The primary treatment outcome was the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28); secondary outcome measures included the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire, Somatic Symptom Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life, and Emotion Regulation Scale. Eleven of 12 participants were randomized to CA-CBT+ completed treatment. Based on intent-to-treat data, large between-group effect sizes were seen at posttreatment in the GHQ-28, d = 3.0, and for most secondary outcome measures. Improvements for individuals in the treatment group decreased at 1-year follow-up, but effect sizes demonstrated continued large improvements on all measures as compared to pretreatment levels. In summary, CA-CBT+ led to large improvements in general psychopathological distress and quality of life, which were maintained in the long term. In addition, the dropout rate was very low, with delivery in group format. Thus, problem-solving training appears to be a promising addition to CA-CBT.
Background: Within the last decades, there has been increasing research on the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in aquatic ecosystems due to their potential adverse effects on freshwater organisms and risk to human health. However, information on CECs in freshwater environments in sub-Saharan countries is very limited. Here, we investigated the occurrence of CECs in snails and sediments collected from 48 sites within the Lake Victoria South Basin, Kenya, which have been previously investigated for water contamination. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) with a target list of 429 compounds.
Results: In total, 30 compounds have been detected in snails and 78 in sediment samples, compared to 79 previously identified compounds in water. By extending the monitoring of CECs to snails and sediments, we found 68 compounds that were not previously detected in water. These compounds include the anti-cancer drug anastrozole, detected for the first time in the Kenyan environment. Individual compound concentrations were detected up to 480 ng/g wet weight (N-ethyl-o-toluenesulfonamide) in snails and 110 ng/g organic carbon (pirimiphos-methyl) in sediments. Higher contaminant concentrations were found in agricultural sites than in areas not impacted by anthropogenic activities. Crustaceans were the organisms at greatest toxic risk from sediment contamination [toxic unit (TU) up to 0.99] with diazinon and pirimiphos-methyl driving this risk. Acute and chronic risks to algae were driven by diuron (TU up to 0.24), whereas fish were found to be at low-to-no acute risk (TU up to 0.007).
Conclusions: The compound classes present at the highest frequencies in all matrices were pesticides and biocides. This study shows substantial contamination of surface water in rural western Kenya. By filling data gaps on contamination of sediments and aquatic biota, our study reveals that CECs pose a substantial risk to environmental health in Kenya demanding for monitoring and mitigation.
Den 'Gray Room' des künstlerischen Kollektivs Archizoom als Metapher für eine kuratorische Situation avant la lettre nach Bismarck aufgreifend, verbindet Nicole Kandioler diesen mit dem Konzept des "Sensoriums" nach Jacques Rancière, mit dem Letzterer das Setting des Aufeinandertreffens von Kunst und Politik beschreibt. Der als Sensorium gedachte Gray Room entfaltet in der Gegenüberstellung und Konfrontation dreier künstlerischer Positionen (Alfons Mucha, Kara Walker und Kateřina Šedá) konkrete Politiken des Medialen, die sich an post-imperialen, post-kolonialen und post-sozialistischen Motiven abarbeiten.
In der dritten Ausgabe des Periodicals möchten wir nach den Schnittstellen zwischen dem Bereich der Medienkomparatistik und dem Feld des Kuratorischen fragen, wobei wir die Verschiebung des 'Kuratierens' als inszenierende Praxis zum 'Kuratorischen' als Grundbedingung "des Öffentlich-Werdens von Kunst" sowie der Diskursivierung von medienwissenschaftlichem Wissen (über Kunst) zum Ausgangspunkt unserer Überlegungen nehmen.
During January/February 2013, at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch a measurement campaign was carried out, which was centered on atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR). Three different techniques for separation of INP and IPR from the non-ice-active particles are compared. The Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI) sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals. The combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Counterflow Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI) provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated INP for analysis.Collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine size, chemical composition and mixing state. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20 – 70 %) of instrumental contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH+IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential sampling artifacts (e.g., pure soluble material) occurred with a median abundance of < 20 %. While these could be explained as IPR by ice break-up, for INP their IN-ability pathway is less clear. After removal of the contamination artifacts, silicates and Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types separated by all three techniques. Soot was a minor contributor. Lead was detected in less than 10 % of the particles, of which the majority were internal mixtures with other particle types. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 μm, while the Ice-CVI also separated many submicron IPR. As strictly parallel sampling could not be performed, a part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from variations in meteorological conditions and subsequent INP/IPR composition. The observed differences in the particle group abundances as well as in the mixing state of INP/IPR express the need for further studies to better understand the influence of the separating techniques on the INP/IPR chemical
composition.
The Tijanya brotherhood founded by Cheikh Ahmed TIJANI in the second half of the XVIIIth century achieved a spectacular breakthrough in West Africa by the middle of the XIXth century. It was adopted and championed by the main figures of the resistance to the French colonial penetration : Cheikh Umar al-Futi TALL and Ahmadou Mahdiyu BA who were introduced to it respectively by Mohamed el-Ghali in Medina and Mohamed el-Hafez, and Id-on-Ali in Mederdra, Mauritania. Mamadou Lamine Dramé from the Gajaaga and Samba Diadana Ac also were figures of the anticolonial resistance who embraced Tijanya. Ahmadou Cheikhou, Cheikh Umar TALL's successor and eldest son, too was a tijane anticolonial hero whom Archinard's men killed in 1891, after his empire had gone through a long period of turmoil.
Motivated by recent experimental suggestions of charge-order-driven ferroelectricity in organic charge-transfer salts, such as κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl, we investigate magnetic and charge-ordered phases that emerge in an extended two-orbital Hubbard model on the anisotropic triangular lattice at 3/4 filling. This model takes into account the presence of two organic BEDT-TTF molecules, which form a dimer on each site of the lattice, and includes short-range intramolecular and intermolecular interactions and hoppings. By using variational wave functions and quantum Monte Carlo techniques, we find two polar states with charge disproportionation inside the dimer, hinting to ferroelectricity. These charge-ordered insulating phases are stabilized in the strongly correlated limit and their actual charge pattern is determined by the relative strength of intradimer to interdimer couplings. Our results suggest that ferroelectricity is not driven by magnetism, since these polar phases can be stabilized also without antiferromagnetic order and provide a possible microscopic explanation of the experimental observations. In addition, a conventional dimer-Mott state (with uniform density and antiferromagnetic order) and a nonpolar charge-ordered state (with charge-rich and charge-poor dimers forming a checkerboard pattern) can be stabilized in the strong-coupling regime. Finally, when electron–electron interactions are weak, metallic states appear, with either uniform charge distribution or a peculiar 12-site periodicity that generates honeycomb-like charge order.
Au Tchad, à cause de ses retombées financières une attention particulière est prêtée aux arbres à karité (Vitella- ria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.). Cependant, cette culture est menacée par les plantes vasculaires parasites de la famille des Lo- ranthaceae. La présente étude a été effectuée dans 3 sites dans la région du Mandoul pour évaluer l’ampleur des attaques de Loranthaceae (gui africain) sur des arbres en fonction des classes de circonférence du tronc à 1,5 cm du sol. Elle a consisté à dénombrer sur une de surface, les arbres à karité infestés et les touffes de parasites rencontrées sur ces arbres, afin de dé- terminer leur taux et leur intensité d’infestation. Les résultats obtenus montrent que Tapinanthus dodoneifolus (DC) Danser a été trouvée comme la seule espèce de Loranthaceae qui parasite les arbres karité étudiés dans la zone d’étude. Le taux moyen d’infestation estimé à 73% augmente avec l’âge des arbres karité. La moyenne d’intensité de l’infestation/arbre (2,75 touffes à Békôh, 2,27 à Yomi and 2,04 à Bébopen) montre que Tapinanthus dodoneifolus constitue une réelle menace pour les peu- plements de karité dans la zone d’étude. Il reste à rechercher le seuil d’infestation qui provoque une réduction significative de la fructification. Pour l’instant, bien que pénible à cause de la hauteur des arbres adultes, la lutte mécanique contre les Ta- pinanthus par la coupe systématique des branches infestées est urgente dans les parcs à karité dans cette zone d’étude.
A 24-year-old patient from Cameroon presented to our hospital because of a foreign structure in her left eye. To our knowledge, for the first time, fluorescent microscopy revealed motile microfilariae, and the diagnosis of loiasis was established. Despite substantial microfilaremia, eosinophilia only unmasked after the initiation of antiparasitic therapy.
Background: In the past, protease inhibitors (PIs) and the reverse transcriptase inhibitor abacavir were identified increasing the risk for thromboembolic complications and cardiovascular events (CVE) of HIV infected patients taking a combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Results of the previous HIV-PLA I-study lead to the assumption that platelet activation could play a substantial role in increasing CVE risks.
Methods: The open label, monocentric HIV-PLA II-study investigated HIV-1-infected, therapy-naïve adults (n=45) starting with cART, consisting either of boosted PI (atazanavir, n= 6, darunavir, n=11), NNRTI (efavirenz, n=14) or integrase inhibitor (raltegravir, n=14), each plus tenofovir/emtricitabine co-medication. Main exclusion criteria were tobacco smoking, the intake of NSAIDs or abacavir or past CVE. Platelet adhesive molecule p-selectin (CD62P) and FITC anti-human Integrin α-IIb/Integrin β-3 (CD41/CD61) antibody (PAC-1) binding, monocyte CD11b/monocyte-associated CD41 expression and the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) were assessed ex vivo-in vitro at baseline, weeks 4, 12 and 24. Therapy regimens were blinded to the investigators for laboratory and statistical analyses.
Results: CD11b and ETP showed no significant changes or differences between all study groups. In contrast, the mean + SD mean fluorescence units (MFI) of CD62P and PAC-1 increased significantly in patients taking PI, indicating an enhanced potential for thrombocyte activation and aggregation.
Conclusion: CD62P expression, detecting the ɑ-platelet degranulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic factors and adhesive proteins, and PAC-1 expression, representing a marker for conformation changes of the GIIb/IIIa receptor, increased significantly in patients taking HIV protease inhibitors. The findings of this study revealed a yet unknown pathway of platelet activation, possibly contributing to the increased risk for CVE under HIV protease inhibitor containing cART.
Clinical Trial Registration No.: DRKS00000288.
This paper reflects on legal pluralism. How did medieval societies incorporate both unwritten customs and written law at the same time? How did they constitute the process of finding justice? What is the essense of legal pluralism, and will it help us understand the situation of Taiwan’s indigenous population?
We aim to solve these problems by taking a closer look at medieval Saxony: for around 400 years, both laws given by the authorities and traditional customs in Saxony worked fine in parallel. The latter were put into writing by the legal practitioner Eike von Repgow around 1230 for reasons unknown. We refer to his collection of laws and customs of the Saxons as the Sachsenspiegel ("Mirror of Saxons").
While Saxons certainly differed from Taiwan’s indigenous population for many reasons, such as the supposedly weaker egalitarianism among the Saxons than among at least some indigenous groups, the two show some remarkable similarities nonetheless. Just like the Taiwanese Gaya, the Sachsenspiegel’s spiritual origin raises the claim to validity. Furthermore, comparing the handling of a person’s sale of inherited property, the legal situations in the Sachsenspiegel and Taiwan’s unwritten customs resemble each other. The heir can transfer only property he acquired personally. Furthermore, the author discusses the different character of courts and procedure under oral law in contrast to written modern law.
Finally, the paper concludes with some remarks about a learned commentary on the Sachsenspiegel written around 1325, combined with an outlook on the possible future of Taiwanese customs.
Ob eine Suche nach Rechtsbegriffen des Mittelalters förderlich sei, erscheine – so Harald Siems – zweifelhaft. Theoretische Reflexionen über Recht habe man im Frühen Mittelalter kaum angestellt. Jedenfalls nicht in der Intensität, dass sie sich zum Begriff verdichtet hätten. Die Frage nach dem Rechtsbegriff sei auch deshalb fehl am Platze, weil im Frühmittelalter so etwas zur Lösung von Rechtsfragen nichts hätte beitragen können. Warum sollte jemand auf die Idee kommen, "quasi auf Vorrat" Rechtsbegriffe zu entwickeln? Schon wenn es um konkrete Rechtsfragen wie beispielsweise die Behandlung von Diebstahl oder Raub geht, fehle es "noch lange an Begriff und System". Diese knappe Feststellung bringt Siems’ Ausführungen für einen kurzen Moment in die Nähe von Überlegungen, die Pilch anstellt und die auf dieser Tagung zu verfolgen sind. Aber wirklich nur für einen Augenblick blitzt das auf: Siems sagt, Rechtsbegriffe seien eine schwierige, abstrakte Kategorie, für die heute die Vertreter der Rechtstheorie und der Rechtsphilosophie zuständig seien. ...
The effect of a single site mutation of Arg-54 to methionine in Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase was studied using a combination of optical spectroscopy, electrochemical and rapid kinetics techniques, and time-resolved measurements of electrical membrane potential. The mutation resulted in a blue-shift of the heme a alpha-band by 15 nm and partial occupation of the low-spin heme site by heme O. Additionally, there was a marked decrease in the midpoint potential of the low-spin heme, resulting in slow reduction of this heme species. A stopped-flow investigation of the reaction with ferrocytochrome c yielded a kinetic difference spectrum resembling that of heme a(3). This observation, and the absence of transient absorbance changes at the corresponding wavelength of the low-spin heme, suggests that, in the mutant enzyme, electron transfer from Cu(A) to the binuclear center may not occur via heme a but that instead direct electron transfer to the high-spin heme is the dominating process. This was supported by charge translocation measurements where Deltapsi generation was completely inhibited in the presence of KCN. Our results thus provide an example for how the interplay between protein and cofactors can modulate the functional properties of the enzyme complex.
Background and Purpose: Activation of hepatic thyroid hormone receptor β (THR-β) is associated with systemic lipid lowering, increased bile acid synthesis, and fat oxidation. In patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), treatment with THR-β agonists decreased hepatic steatosis and circulating lipids, and induced resolution of NASH. We chose resmetirom (MGL-3196), a liver-directed, selective THR-β agonist, as a prototype to investigate the effects of THR-β activation in mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO) and biopsy-confirmed advanced NASH with fibrosis.
Experimental Approach: C57Bl/6J mice were fed a diet high in fat, fructose, and cholesterol for 34 weeks, and only biopsy-confirmed DIO-NASH mice with fibrosis were included. Resmetirom was administered at a daily dose of 3 mg·kg−1 p.o., for 8 weeks. Systemic and hepatic metabolic parameters, histological non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity and fibrosis scores, and liver RNA expression profiles were determined to assess the effect of THR-β activation.
Key Results: Treatment with resmetirom did not influence body weight but led to significant reduction in liver weight, hepatic steatosis, plasma alanine aminotransferase activity, liver and plasma cholesterol, and blood glucose. These metabolic effects translated into significant improvement in NAFLD activity score. Moreover, a lower content of α-smooth muscle actin and down-regulation of genes involved in fibrogenesis indicated a decrease in hepatic fibrosis.
Conclusion and Implications: Our model robustly reflected clinical observations of body weight-independent improvements in systemic and hepatic metabolism including anti-steatotic activity.
Do sentido interno
(2009)
Religion und Gesellschaft
(2016)
Abstract
Indoor air pollution with harmful particulate matter (PM) is mainly caused by cigarette smoke. Super-Slim-Size-Cigarettes (SSL) are considered a less harmful alternative to King-Size-Cigarettes (KSC) due to longer filters and relatively low contents. We ask if “Combined Mainstream and Sidestream Smoke” (CMSS)-associated PM levels of SSL are lower than of KSC and thus are potentially less harmful. PM concentrations in CMSS (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) are measured from four cigarette types of the brand Vogue, using an “automatic-environmental-tobacco-smoke-emitter” (AETSE) and laser aerosol spectrometry: SSL-BLEUE, -MENTHE, -LILAS and KSC-La Cigarette and -3R4F reference. This analysis shows that SSL MENTHE emitted the highest amount of PM, and KSC-La Cigarette the lowest. 3R4F reference emitted PM in the middle range, exceeding SSL BLEUE and falling slightly below SSL LILAS. It emerged that PM1 constituted the biggest proportion of PM emission. The outcome shows significant type-specific differences for emitted PM concentrations. Our results indicate that SSL are potentially more harmful for passive smokers than the respective KSC. However, this study cannot give precise statements about the general influence of the size of a cigarette on PM. Alarming is that PM1 is responsible for the biggest proportion of PM pollution, since smaller particles cause more harmful effects.
The genus Sibogasyrinx has to date included only four species of rare deep-water Conoidea, each known from few specimens. In shell characters it strongly resembles three distantly-related genera, two of which, Comitas and Leucosyrinx, belong to a different family, the Pseudomelatomidae. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of a large amount of material of Conoidea has revealed the existence of much additional undescribed diversity within Sibogasyrinx from the central Indo-Pacific and temperate Northern Pacific. Based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cox1 gene and morphological characters of 54 specimens, 10 species hypotheses are proposed, of which six are described as new species: S. subula sp. nov., S. lolae sp. nov., S. maximei sp. nov., S. clausura sp. nov., S. pagodiformis sp. nov. and S. elbakyanae Kantor, Puillandre & Bouchet sp. nov. One of the previously described species was absent in our material. Most of the new species are very similar and are compared to Leucosyrinx spp. Species of Sibogasyrinx are unique among Conoidea on account of the high intrageneric variability in radular morphology. Three distinct radula types are found within Sibogasyrinx, two of which are confined to highly supported subclades.
The status of five genera recognized within subfamily Buccininae (Buccinidae) is critically re-assessed based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the cox-1, 16S, and 28S gene fragments. Our results suggest restoring Volutharpa P. Fischer, 1856 from synonymy of Buccinum and we also consider Plicibuccinum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 as valid genus. New molecular data provide further support for the synonimization of Bathybuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1988 with Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that Thysanobuccinum Golikov #38; Gulbin in Golikov, 1980 and Ovulatibuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1988 as currently construed are nested within Buccinum and their subgeneric rank is not confirmed. Therefore, we synonymize these genera with Buccinum. In the absence of molecular data the monotypic genus Corneobuccinum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 is provisionally considered valid. Two new species, Buccinum hasegawai sp. nov. and B. bizikovi sp. nov. are described from the Kurile Islands; these species were previously erroneously identified as Bathybuccinum bombycinum (Dall, 1907) and Ovulatibuccinum ovulum (Dall, 1907), respectively. New replacement names are proposed for the secondary junior homonym Buccinum perlatum (Fraussen & Chino, 2009) and the primary junior homonyms Buccinum coronatum Golikov, 1980 and Buccinum costatum Golikov 1980.
Die kulturhistorische Forschung hat Gertrud Kantorowicz (1876-1945) - anders als ihren Cousin, den berühmten Mediävisten Ernst Kantorowicz - nur gelegentlich beachtet. Dabei hat die Simmel-Vertraute, promovierte Kunsthistorikerin und wohl einzige Dichterin des George-Kreises ein nicht unbeträchtliches Werk hinterlassen, darunter etwa eine bislang nicht gewürdigte Reihe von Michelangelo-Nachdichtungen und die bedeutende Übersetzung von Bergsons "L'évolution créatrice".
Wie nehmen Sie die Goethe-Universität heute in Zeiten des stärkeren nationalen und internationalen Wettbewerbs der Hochschulen wahr?
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Objective. Traumatic injury or severe surgery leads to a profound immune response with a diminished functionality of monocytes and subsequently their IL-1β release. IL-1β plays an important role in host immunity and protection against infections. Its biological activation via IL-1β-precursor processing requires the transcription of inflammasome components and their activation. Deregulated activity of NOD-like receptor inflammasomes (NLR) like NLRP3 that leads to the maturation of IL-1β has been described in various diseases. While the role of other inflammasomes has been studied in monocytes, nothing is known about NLRP3 inflammasome after a traumatic injury. Here, the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in impaired monocyte functionality after a traumatic injury was analyzed.
Measurements and Main Results. Ex vivo-in vitro stimulation of isolated CD14+ monocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed a significantly higher IL-1β secretion in healthy volunteers (HV) compared to trauma patients (TP) after admission. Reduced IL-1β secretion was paralleled by significantly lowered gene expression of NLRP3 in monocytes from TP compared to those of HV. Transfection of monocytes with NLRP3-encoding plasmid recovered the functionality of monocytes from TP regarding the IL-1β secretion.
Conclusions. This study demonstrates that CD14+ monocytes from TP are significantly diminished in their function and that the presence of NLRP3 components is necessary in recovering the ability of monocytes to produce active IL-1β. This recovery of the NLRP3 inflammasome in monocytes may imply a new target for treatment and therapy of immune suppression after severe injury.
Die Flechte Cladonia stygia (Fr.) Ruoss wurde anlässlich einer Bestandsaufnahme der Rentierflechten 2009 erstmals aus Hessen gemeldet. Da die Unterscheidung von der ähnlichen C. rangiferina (L.) F. H. Wigg. anhand morphologischer Merkmale oft unsicher ist, wurden molekulargenetische Daten zur Identifizierung der hessischen Belege der Art herangezogen. Phylogenetische Stammbäume auf der Grundlage von sechs mitochondrialen und nuklearen Genloci untermauern die Abgrenzung beider Arten. Nur zwei von sieben gemeldeten hessischen Vorkommen gehören nach diesen Ergebnissen zu C. stygia, die übrigen zu C. rangiferina. Eine gezielte Suche nach C. stygia und eine durch molekulargenetische Daten untermauerte Bestimmung der Belege erscheint notwendig, um den Status der Art in Hessen zuverlässig beurteilen zu können.
Anlass für diese molekular-genetische Studie war der Verdacht, dass die seit 1986 bekannten und seitdem stark expandierten Populationen des Zwerg- Sonnenröschens (Fumana procumbens) im Naturschutzgebiet "Scheid bei Volkmarsen" in Nordhessen angesalbt wurden. Die Art war zuvor aus Nordhessen nicht gemeldet; lediglich in Südhessen waren isolierte Vorkommen auf kalkreichen Sanddünen bekannt. Eine Split-Netzwerk-Analyse basierend auf AFLP-Profilen von 69 Individuen an acht Lokalitäten konnte aufdecken, dass sich die südhessischen und französischen Populationen im Netzwerk jeweils klar als eigene Gruppen abgrenzen, während sich die nordhessischen Individuen mit den thüringischen, sachsen-anhaltinischen und gotländischen Aufsammlungen mischen. Die Frage nach der Ansalbung der Bestände lässt sich durch die Studie nicht beantworten. Wurde angesalbt, dann stammte das Ausgangsmaterial höchstwahrscheinlich aus den östlich sich anschließenden Populationen.
Za svojega kratkoga boravka u Petrogradu 1912. I. Milcetic; opisao je bogatu Bercicevu zbirku glagoljickih rukopisa i tiskanih knjiga iz Ruske nacionalne knjižnice, ali nije stigao podrobno prouciti svaki sastavni dio Berciceve grade. U Milceticevu opisu kodeksa br. 1 (Klimantovicev zbornik, 1514.) spominje se prolog Muke, ali se ne upozorava da se u nastavku toga prologa nalazi ulomak iz srednjovjekovnoga prikazanja sa scenom Judine izdaje Isusa. Ta je scena u srednjem vijeku ponajviše uznemiravala puk jer se tada od svega najviše mrzila laž, izdaja i prijetvornost. U radu se opisuju i prvi put objavljuju ulomci nepoznate redakcije Muke Isuhrstove iz petrogradske Berciceve zbirke (sign. Bc 1), koji predstavljaju za sada najstariji zapisani prolog i scenu hrvatskoga srednjovjekovnoga prikazanja pasionske tematike. Stihovi ulomaka usporeduju se s mladom ciklickom Mukom Spasitelja našega iz glagoljickoga Zbornika prikazanja (1556.), s kojom se u korpusu hrvatskoga srednjovjekovnoga pjesništva ti ulomci najviše podudaraju.
Reconstructions of the vegetation of Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are an enigma. Pollen-based analyses have suggested that Europe was largely covered by steppe and tundra, and forests persisted only in small refugia. Climate-vegetation model simulations on the other hand have consistently suggested that broad areas of Europe would have been suitable for forest, even in the depths of the last glaciation. Here we reconcile models with data by demonstrating that the highly mobile groups of hunter-gatherers that inhabited Europe at the LGM could have substantially reduced forest cover through the ignition of wildfires. Similar to hunter-gatherers of the more recent past, Upper Paleolithic humans were masters of the use of fire, and preferred inhabiting semi-open landscapes to facilitate foraging, hunting and travel. Incorporating human agency into a dynamic vegetation-fire model and simulating forest cover shows that even small increases in wildfire frequency over natural background levels resulted in large changes in the forested area of Europe, in part because trees were already stressed by low atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the cold, dry, and highly variable climate. Our results suggest that the impact of humans on the glacial landscape of Europe may be one of the earliest large-scale anthropogenic modifications of the earth system.
Im nordwestlichen Westfalen und der Grafschaft Bentheim wurde eine Bestandserhebung von Hypericum elodes durchgeführt. Mit Vorkommen an etwa 50 Gewässern dürfte diese Art innerhalb der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in der untersuchten Region ihren Verbreitungsschwerpunkt besitzen. Aspekte der Bestandsschwankungen und Gefährdung werden diskutiert.
In den Jahren 1986 bis 1990 wurde Ranunculus ololeucos (Reinweißer Hahnenfuß) im nordwestlichen Westfalen und südöstlichen Niedersachsen an 17 Gewässern beobachtet. Einen Verbreitungsschwerpunkt bildet der Naturraum "Gildehauser Venn". Ursache für viele Neu- und Wiederfunde dürfte der für Ranunculus ololeucos günstige Witterungsverlauf der letzten Jahre mit mehreren trockenen Sommerhalbjahren gewesen sein. Noch stärker als durch Eutrophierung erscheint die Art wie auch andere Littorelletea-Arten durch die zunehmende Versauerung der nährstoffarmen Stillgewässer gefährdet.
Vom Pillenfarn sind im Untersuchungsgebiet 22 aktuelle Fundorte bekannt; einen Verbreitungsschwerpunkt besitzt er im westfälisch-niedersächsischen Grenzgebiet, im Bereich des Gildehauser Venns und der Brechte. Der Pillenfarn besiedelt heute fast ausschließlich neu angelegte, meist nährstoffärmere, schwach saure bis neutrale, aber auch schwach basische Gewässer. Vorkommen an natürlichen Heideweihern (Witte Venn, Gildehauser Venn) sind heute erloschen. Wichtigste Ursache hierfür dürfte die Gewässerversauerung der letzten Jahrzehnte sein. Wasseranalysen ergaben bei einigen Faktoren recht uneinheitliche Werte. Insbesondere fielen bei einzelnen (z. T. belasteten) Gewässern erhöhte Stickstoff- und Calciumwerte auf. Unter optimalen Bedingungen bildet der Pillenfarn in dichten Rasen wachsend die Pillenfarn-Gesellschaft (Pilularietum globuliferae). Die Ausbildung von kennartenarmen und kennartenreichen Beständen dürfte vor allem auf die floristische Ausstattung des Standortes und seiner näheren Umgebung bei Anlage der Gewässer zurückzuführen sein. Die aus der Abb. 3 ersichtliche Vegetationszonierung kann als typisch für viele nährstoffärmere Pioniergewässer der nordwestdeutschen Sandgebiete angesehen werden.
Die im Gebiet des mittleren Teutoburger Waldes auftretenden Sedimentationsanomalien der turbiditischen "Rothenfelder Grünsande" und der "submarinen Großgleitung im Raum Halle" werden in das Ober-Turon gestellt und feinstratigraphisch neu gedeutet. Dabei können die "Rothenfelder Grünsande" erstmals mit einer Lage im Steinbruch Foerth, Halle/ Westf., nachgewiesen werden. Unbekannt war auch bisher das Vorkommen einer submarinen Gleitung im Steinbruch Anneliese, Bad Laer, in der ein weiterer Turbidit eingeschaltet ist. Die turbiditischen Rothenfelder Grünsande gehören lithostratigraphisch in die hohe "Untere Plänerkalk-Einheit (Iower limestone unit)" (ERNST& WOOD& RASEMANN 1984), biostratigraphisch in die untere Subprionocyclus normalis - Ammonitenzone und in die untere Inoceramus aff. frechi & Inoceramus cf. websteri - Inoceramen-Faunenzone. Eventstratigraphisch sind sie durch ihre Lage von einigen Metern über dem Tuff F und dem Micraster-Event gekennzeichnet. Die Untergrenzen der submarinen Gleitungen von HalielWestf. und vom Steinbruch Anneliese, Bad Laer, befinden sich lithostratigraphisch in der "Grauweißen Wechselfolge" (WOOD& ERNST& RASEMANN 1984). Im Steinbruch Foerth, HalLe/Westf., liegt die Basis der submarinen Gleitungen nur knapp über dem Beginn der Grauweißen Wechselfolge. In den verrutschten Gesteinsmassen läßt sich eine stratigraphische Abfolge vom hohen Ober-Turon bis in das Mittel-Coniac erkennen. Die Basis der submarinen Gleitung von Bad Laer liegt einige Meter höher als in HalielWestf. Ihre Mächtigkeit beträgt nur 5 m im Gegensatz zu der weit über 100 m mächtigen Rutschung von Halle/Westf.
Germany’s educational system has undergone a series of transformations during the last 40 years. In recent years, marked increases in enrolment have occurred. In response, admission requirements have been relaxed and new universities have been established. Academic distance education in the former Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was ushered in by the educational radio broadcasts around the end of the 1960s. Aside from the formation of the FernUniversität (Open University) in West Germany in 1975, there were significant developments in distance education occurring at the major universities in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). After German reunification in 1990, the new unitary state launched programs to advance the development of distance education programs at conventional universities. Germany’s campus-based universities (Präsenzuniversitäten) created various entities, including central units and consortia of universities to design and market distance education programs. Hybridisation provides the necessary prerequisites for dual mode delivery, such as basic and continuing education programs, as well as for the combination of distance and campus-based education (Präsenzstudium). Hybridisation also has also opened the door for the creation of new programs. Following an initial phase in which distance education research is expected to centralize a trend towards decentralisation is likely to follow. The German Association for Distance Education (AG-F) offers a viable research network in distance education. Two dual mode case studies are also be surveyed: The Master of Arts degree, offered by the University of Koblenz-Landau, with Library Science as the second major, and the University of Kaiserslautern, where basic education will continue to be captured within the domain of the Präsenzstudium or campus-based education. The area in which distance education is flourishing most is within the field of academic continuing education, where external experts and authors are broadening the horizon of the campus. Multimedia networks will comprise the third generation of distance education.
RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool to induce loss-of-function phenotypes by post-transcriptional silencing of gene expression. In this study we wondered whether inducible RNAi-cassettes integrated into cellular DNA possess the power to trigger neoplastic growth. For this purpose inducible RNAi vectors containing tetracycline (Tet)-responsive derivatives of the H1 promoter for the conditional expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used to target human polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), which is overexpressed in a broad spectrum of human tumors. In the absence of doxycycline (Dox) HeLa clones expressing TetR, that carry the RNAi-cassette stably integrated, exhibited no significant alteration in Plk1 expression levels. In contrast, exposure to Dox led to marked downregulation of Plk1 mRNA to 3% and Plk1 protein to 14% in cell culture compared to mismatch shRNA/Plk1-expressing cells. As a result of Plk1 depletion cell proliferation decreased to 17%. Furthermore, for harnessing RNAi for silencing disease-related genes in vivo we transplanted inducible RNAi-HeLa cells onto nude mice. After administration of Dox knockdown of Plk1 expression was observed correlating to a significant inhibition of tumor growth. Taken together, our data revealed that genomically integrated RNAi-elements are suitable to hamper tumor growth by conditional expression of shRNA.
The interaction of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) with their fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are important in the signaling network of cell growth and development. SSR128129E (SSR),[1, 2] a ligand of small molecular weight with potential anti-cancer properties, acts allosterically on the extracellular domains of FGFRs. Up to now, the structural basis of SSR binding to the D3 domain of FGFR remained elusive. This work reports the structural characterization of the interaction of SSR with one specific receptor, FGFR3, by NMR spectroscopy. This information provides a basis for rational drug design for allosteric FGFR inhibitors.
Music is an effective means of stress-reduction. However, to date there has been no systematic comparison between musical and language-based means of stress reduction in an ambulatory setting. Furthermore, although the aim for listening to music appears to play a role in its effect, this has not yet been investigated thoroughly. We compared musical means, language-based means like guided relaxation or self-enhancement exercises, and a combination of both with respect to their potential to reduce perceived stress. Furthermore, we investigated whether the aim one wants to achieve by listening to these means had an impact on their effect. We tested 64 participants (age: M = 40.09 years; 18 female) for 3–10 days during their everyday life using an app containing three means: musical means, language-based means, and a combination of both. For the music and the combination conditions participants were asked to select an aim: relaxation or activation. We measured perceived stress, relaxation, activation, and electrical skin resistance (ESR) as a marker of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity before and after using the app. Participants were instructed to use the app as often as desired. Overall, perceived stress was reduced after using the app, while perceived relaxation and activation were increased. There were no differences between the three means regarding their effect on perceived stress and relaxation, but music led to a greater increase in ESR and perceived activation compared to the other means. There was a decrease in ESR only for music. Moreover, perceived stress was reduced and perceived relaxation was increased to greater extent if the aim “relaxation” had been selected. Perceived activation, however, showed a larger increase if the aim had been “activation,” which was even more marked in the case of music listening. Our results indicate that all three means reduced perceived stress and promoted feelings of relaxation and activation. For enhancing feelings of activation music seems to be more effective than the other means, which was reflected in increased SNS activity as well. Furthermore, the choice of an aim plays an important role for the reduction of stress, and promotion of relaxation and activation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused strains on health systems worldwide disrupting routine hospital services for all non-COVID patients. Within this retrospective study, we analyzed inpatient hospital admissions across 18 German university hospitals during the 2020 lockdown period compared to 2018. Patients admitted to hospital between January 1 and May 31, 2020 and the corresponding periods in 2018 and 2019 were included in this study. Data derived from electronic health records were collected and analyzed using the data integration center infrastructure implemented in the university hospitals that are part of the four consortia funded by the German Medical Informatics Initiative. Admissions were grouped and counted by ICD 10 chapters and specific reasons for treatment at each site. Pooled aggregated data were centrally analyzed with descriptive statistics to compare absolute and relative differences between time periods of different years. The results illustrate how care process adoptions depended on the COVID-19 epidemiological situation and the criticality of the disease. Overall inpatient hospital admissions decreased by 35% in weeks 1 to 4 and by 30.3% in weeks 5 to 8 after the lockdown announcement compared to 2018. Even hospital admissions for critical care conditions such as malignant cancer treatments were reduced. We also noted a high reduction of emergency admissions such as myocardial infarction (38.7%), whereas the reduction in stroke admissions was smaller (19.6%). In contrast, we observed a considerable reduction in admissions for non-critical clinical situations, such as hysterectomies for benign tumors (78.8%) and hip replacements due to arthrosis (82.4%). In summary, our study shows that the university hospital admission rates in Germany were substantially reduced following the national COVID-19 lockdown. These included critical care or emergency conditions in which deferral is expected to impair clinical outcomes. Future studies are needed to delineate how appropriate medical care of critically ill patients can be maintained during a pandemic.
1881 Viyana doğumlu olan Stefan Zweig, savaş ortamını bizzat yaşamış ve eserlerinde daima savaş karşıtı bir tutum sergilemiştir. Zweig'ın tek isteği, yaşanılan savaş sonrasında, insanların huzuru ve barışı yakalamasıdır. 1938-1942 yılları arasında Brezilya'da sürgündeyken kaleme aldığı "Satranç" adlı son eseri de göstermek istediği değerler açısından büyük bir öneme sahiptir. Zweig, insan ruhunun derinliklerine inerek, betimlemelerle ve benzetmelerle Nazizm'in/ Nazi Almanya'sının ülke ve insanlar üzerinde bıraktığı sosyal ve psikolojik etkileri yansıtmaya çalışır. Savaşın insanlığı getirdiği noktada, yazarın intiharından önce bıraktığı bir veda mektubu niteliği taşıyan bu eserde, Hitler iktidarının toplama kamplarının haricinde aydınlar için kullandığı başka bir yönteme dikkat çekilir. Zweig'e göre kullanılan bu yöntem, belki de toplama kamplarındaki insanların yaşadıklarından bile daha ağır bir zulümdür.
Alman Edebiyatı'nda önemli bir yere sahip olan Stefan Zweig, "Satranç" adlı eserinde, satranç oyunu üzerinden, yaşanılan tüm olumsuzluklara rağmen savaş döneminde bireylerin ayakta kalma/ var olmaya çalışma süreçlerini aktarır. Otobiyografik özellik gösteren eserde, savaş döneminde Naziler tarafından tutuklandıktan sonra yersiz-yurtsuzluğa mahkûm edilen bir karakterle, dünya satranç şampiyonu olan bir karakterin satranç mücadelesi ele alınır. 20. yüzyılın acımasızlığı gözler önüne serilirken, tarihsel olayların bıraktığı izlere ve o izlerle yaşamaya çalışmanın ne demek olduğuna yakından tanık olmak mümkündür. Bu çalışmada, eserden hareketle (metne bağlı/werkimmanent yaklaşımla) Nasyonal Sosyalizmin toplumda ve insanlar üzerinde bıraktığı izler, yarattığı yıkımlar ve Nasyonal Sosyalizm dönemi aktarılmaya çalışılmıştır.
Zeitgenössische autobiographische Textauszüge dienen als eine gute Inspiration zum biographischen Schreiben, denn in ihnen begegnen dem Leser Themen wie Kindheit, Jugend, Schule, Reisen, Stadt, Heimatort. Diese Ich-Geschichten sind erinnernd, beschreibend, berichtend und erzӓhlend. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es darzulegen, inwieweit ein Portfolioeinsatz einen Beitrag bzw. eine Anregung zum Schreiben über eigene Lebenserfahrungen anhand von beschreibenden, berichtenden und erzählenden Aufzeichnungen von Erinnerungen zu leisten vermag. Durch das Lesen von Auszügen autobiographischer Texte erlangen die Studierenden grundlegende Kenntnisse über die Funktion von beschreibenden, berichtenden und erzӓhlenden Darstellungsweisen und nutzen diese bei der schriftlichen Darstellung ihrer eigenen Erlebnisse und Erfahrungen. Insgesamt wird nicht nur die Dokumentation der eigenen Schreibprodukte, sondern auch die inhaltliche sowie formale Gestaltung des Schreib-Portfolios für die Produktion von biographischen Texten als wirksam angesehen. Die Studierenden sahen sich in ihrem handwerklichen Tun bei der Produktion eigener autobiographischer Texte bestӓrkt und ermutigt.