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Introduction: Hip fracture surgery is associated with high in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates and serious adverse patient outcomes. Evidence from randomised controlled trials regarding effectiveness of spinal versus general anaesthesia on patient-centred outcomes after hip fracture surgery is sparse.
Methods and analysis: The iHOPE study is a pragmatic national, multicentre, randomised controlled, open-label clinical trial with a two-arm parallel group design. In total, 1032 patients with hip fracture (>65 years) will be randomised in an intended 1:1 allocation ratio to receive spinal anaesthesia (n=516) or general anaesthesia (n=516). Outcome assessment will occur in a blinded manner after hospital discharge and inhospital. The primary endpoint will be assessed by telephone interview and comprises the time to the first occurring event of the binary composite outcome of all-cause mortality or new-onset serious cardiac and pulmonary complications within 30 postoperative days. In-hospital secondary endpoints, assessed via in-person interviews and medical record review, include mortality, perioperative adverse events, delirium, satisfaction, walking independently, length of hospital stay and discharge destination. Telephone interviews will be performed for long-term endpoints (all-cause mortality, independence in walking, chronic pain, ability to return home cognitive function and overall health and disability) at postoperative day 30±3, 180±45 and 365±60.
Ethics and dissemination: iHOPE has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the RWTH Aachen University on 14 March 2018 (EK 022/18). Approval from all other involved local Ethical Committees was subsequently requested and obtained. Study started in April 2018 with a total recruitment period of 24 months. iHOPE will be disseminated via presentations at national and international scientific meetings or conferences and publication in peer-reviewed international scientific journals.
Trial registration number: DRKS00013644; Pre-results
Isolated complex I deficiency is a common biochemical phenotype observed in pediatric mitochondrial disease and often arises as a consequence of pathogenic variants affecting one of the ∼65 genes encoding the complex I structural subunits or assembly factors. Such genetic heterogeneity means that application of next-generation sequencing technologies to undiagnosed cohorts has been a catalyst for genetic diagnosis and gene-disease associations. We describe the clinical and molecular genetic investigations of four unrelated children who presented with neuroradiological findings and/or elevated lactate levels, highly suggestive of an underlying mitochondrial diagnosis. Next-generation sequencing identified bi-allelic variants in NDUFA6, encoding a 15 kDa LYR-motif-containing complex I subunit that forms part of the Q-module. Functional investigations using subjects’ fibroblast cell lines demonstrated complex I assembly defects, which were characterized in detail by mass-spectrometry-based complexome profiling. This confirmed a marked reduction in incorporated NDUFA6 and a concomitant reduction in other Q-module subunits, including NDUFAB1, NDUFA7, and NDUFA12. Lentiviral transduction of subjects’ fibroblasts showed normalization of complex I. These data also support supercomplex formation, whereby the ∼830 kDa complex I intermediate (consisting of the P- and Q-modules) is in complex with assembled complex III and IV holoenzymes despite lacking the N-module. Interestingly, RNA-sequencing data provided evidence that the consensus RefSeq accession number does not correspond to the predominant transcript in clinically relevant tissues, prompting revision of the NDUFA6 RefSeq transcript and highlighting not only the importance of thorough variant interpretation but also the assessment of appropriate transcripts for analysis.
Aims: The ILUVIEN Registry Safety Study is an ongoing, multicentre, open-label, observational study collecting real-world data on the safety and effectiveness of the 0.2 µg/day fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant in patients treated according to the European label requirements.
Methods: Patients included in this analysis were treated for the licensed indication of chronic diabetic macular oedema (cDMO; that is, DMO that persists or recurs despite treatment). Data presented in the current analysis were collected from patient records up to 6 March 2017. Visual acuity (VA) data, including mean change in VA over time and at last observation, intraocular pressure (IOP) over the course of the study, IOP events, use of IOP-lowering therapy and cup:disc ratio were analysed. Information on additional DMO treatments post-FAc implant was also captured.
Results: Five hundred and sixty-three patients (593 eyes) were enrolled on the study. Mean IOP for the overall population remained within the normal range throughout follow-up and 76.7% of patients did not require IOP-lowering therapy following treatment with the FAc implant. Sixty-nine per cent of eyes did not require additional DMO treatments. Mean VA in the overall population increased from 51.9 letters at baseline to 55.6 letters at month 12, with a significant increase of 2.9 letters at last observation. Patients with short-term cDMO experienced greater VA gains than those with long-term cDMO.
Conclusions: The results of this analysis are comparable with those of other studies, including the Fluocinolone Acetate for Macular Edema study. The study reinforces the good safety and effectiveness profile of FAc, and demonstrates the benefit of early FAc treatment.
To crack the neural code and read out the information neural spikes convey, it is essential to understand how the information is coded and how much of it is available for decoding. To this end, it is indispensable to derive from first principles a minimal set of spike features containing the complete information content of a neuron. Here we present such a complete set of coding features. We show that temporal pairwise spike correlations fully determine the information conveyed by a single spiking neuron with finite temporal memory and stationary spike statistics. We reveal that interspike interval temporal correlations, which are often neglected, can significantly change the total information. Our findings provide a conceptual link between numerous disparate observations and recommend shifting the focus of future studies from addressing firing rates to addressing pairwise spike correlation functions as the primary determinants of neural information.
Autophagy acts through TRAF3 and RELB to regulate gene expression via antagonism of SMAD proteins
(2017)
Macroautophagy can regulate cell signalling and tumorigenesis via elusive molecular mechanisms. We establish a RAS mutant cancer cell model where the autophagy gene ATG5 is dispensable in A549 cells in vitro, yet promotes tumorigenesis in mice. ATG5 represses transcriptional activation by the TGFβ-SMAD gene regulatory pathway. However, autophagy does not terminate cytosolic signal transduction by TGFβ. Instead, we use proteomics to identify selective degradation of the signalling scaffold TRAF3. TRAF3 autophagy is driven by RAS and results in activation of the NF-κB family member RELB. We show that RELB represses TGFβ target promoters independently of DNA binding at NF-κB recognition sequences, instead binding with SMAD family member(s) at SMAD-response elements. Thus, autophagy antagonises TGFβ gene expression. Finally, autophagy-deficient A549 cells regain tumorigenicity upon SMAD4 knockdown. Thus, at least in this setting, a physiologic function for autophagic regulation of gene expression is tumour growth.
Peter Weiss'ın Direnmenin Estetiği romanı tematik kurgusu içinde geçmişteki direnişleri belgeleyen sanat ve edebiyat eserlerini yeniden yorumlayan bir çizgi izlemektedir. Sosyalizmin pratiklerini içeriden eleştiren bu roman sosyalist gerçekçiliği de konu etmektedir. Bu kapsamda işçi perspektifinden yazılmış bir roman olan Klaus Neukrantz'ın Wedding Barikatları ile - sosyalist gerçekçilik çizgisinin dekadan (yozlaşmış) yazar kabul ettiği - Franz Kafka'nın Şato romanı arasında bir yakınlık ilişkisi kurmakta, Şato için 'işçi sınıfının romanı' ifadesini kullanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda Peter Weiss'ın sosyalist gerçekçiliği nasıl yorumladığı, sosyalist iktidarların sanat ve edebiyat üzerindeki denetimlerine itiraz etmesine rağmen sosyalist gerçekçilikte hangi değeri gördüğü ve Kafka’nın Şato romanına 'işçi sınıfının romanı' derken nasıl bir bağlantı kurduğu çarpıcı bir soru haline gelmektedir.
Bu makale, adı geçen iki eserin özelliklerini ve düzen karşısındaki konumlanmalarını karşılaştırmalı olarak incelemektedir; Direnmenin Estetiği'nde bu iki romanla ilgili bölümlerde, romanın genel kurgusu ve yaklaşımı dikkate alınarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu incelemeyle, Peter Weiss'ın sosyalist gerçekçiliğe bakışındaki özgünlüğü ve bu bağlamda nasıl bir Kafka yorumu yaptığını göstermek amaçlanıyor. İncelemenin vardığı sonuç: Peter Weiss; Kafka'nın, mücadelenin hedefini gösteren sosyalist gerçekçiliğin eksik bıraktığı şeyi yaptığını, yani ezilenlerin kendi içsel yaşantılarını bulmalarını sağladığını düşünmektedir. Yine Direnmenin Estetiği'nde izlerine rastlandığı gibi, Peter Weiss hayatının önemli bir bölümünde kendini Kafka’nın dünyasında hissetmiştir. Bu da Kafka'yı Peter Weiss için önemli kılan bir başka unsurdur. Bu anlamda Direnmenin Estetiği romanı Franz Kafka, Klaus Neukrantz ve Peter Weiss'ın ortak noktalarının izini süren, üç kurgusal metnin iç içe geçtiği bir üst metin olarak görülebilir.
Die aktuellen Ereignisse in Europa und die Migrationskrise bewegen die ganze Welt. Mit diesem Thema beschäftigte sich die internationale Konferenz, die im Rahmen des europäischen Projekts "My!Europe" der Sonnenberg-Kreis der Tschechischen Republik in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Lehrstuhl für Fremdsprachen der Philosophischen Fakultät der Universität Pardubice von 7.- 8. April 2016 veranstaltete. Am akademischen Boden der ostböhmischen Universität trafen sich 130 Fachleute, Interessenten, Studenten und Schüler.
Das wissenschaftliche Interesse auf dem Feld der Germanistik ist in den letzten Jahren in Rumänien, besonders nach der blutigen und gewaltsamen Wende, stark gestiegen. Die Germanistikabteilung der Philologischen Fakultät in Kronstadt/Braşov veranstaltete in Zusammenarbeit mit der Gesellschaft der Germanisten Rumäniens [GGR] (Zweigstelle Kronstadt) zwischen dem 07. - 09. April 2016 ihre XIX. Internationale Tagung zum Thema Konstruktionen von Männlichkeit und Weiblichkeit in der deutschen Kultur, Literatur und Sprache.
Erfahrungen mit Wikipedia.de
(2016)
Ausgehend von der unsystematischen Mitarbeit einerseits, der laufenden Beobachtung einiger mit dieser Absicht geschriebenen Artikel (zur Volksliedforschung) andererseits sollen weitgehend allgemein gültige Beobachtungen und Erfahrungen mit der deutschen Wikipedia skizziert werden. Damit soll diese für türkische Studierende äußerst wichtige Informationsquelle transparenter gemacht werden, und damit soll zu einer kreativ-kritischen Verwendung von Wikipedia angeregt werden.
Wikipedia kann im Unterricht verwendet werden, ja den richtigen Gebrauch von Wikipedia zu lernen, sollte wichtiges Unterrichtsthema sein. Wikipedia regt zur Mitarbeit an; man sollte allerdings wissen, worauf man sich einlässt.
İkinci dil öğrenme yaşına ilişkin tartışmalar sürerken, birçok gelişmiş ülkede olduğu gibi ülkemizde de anaokulundan itibaren yabancı dil öğretimi gerçekleştirilmektedir. Yabancı dil öğreniminde, görsel-işitsel araç kullanarak dile ait konuşma seslerinin ve sözcüklerin doğru telaffuzunu duymak, doğru telaffuz edebilmek ve dilin ait olduğu kültürü tanımak çok önemlidir. Erken yaşta yabancı dil öğrenimine bu açıdan yaklaşıldığında dil öğreniminde yabancı bir dile ve kültüre ait çizgi filmlerin yeri, üzerinde durulması gereken bir konu olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının yabancı dil öğreniminde çizgi filmlerin yeri incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda, yabancı dil öğrenme yaşı, yabancı dil öğretim yöntemleri kuramsal açıdan ele alınmış; çizgi filmlerin yabancı dil öğrenimindeki yeri üzerinde durularak, ne tür çizgi filmlerin erken yaşta yabancı dil öğreniminde daha etkin ve yararlı olduğu ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır.
Der Faktor 'Sommerferien' beim Übergang von der
Vorbereitungsklasse in die Deutschlehrerausbildung
(2016)
Die Eingangssprachkenntnisse der Studierenden des Studiengangs 'Lehramt für Deutsch als Fremdsprache' an der Universität Trakya unterscheiden sich bei der Aufnahme des Fachstudiums von den Ergebnissen der Sprachstandprüfung, die am Ende der einjährigen Vorbereitungsklasse durchgeführt wird. Dieser Ausgangspunkt scheint auch für Abteilungen anderer Universitäten der Fall zu sein, die sich im gleichen Umfang befinden. Diesbezüglich ist es Ziel dieses Beitrags, den Faktor 'Sommerferien' bei diesem Übergang deskriptiv aufzudecken. Die Fragestellung, wie die Lernenden ihre Sommerferien bezüglich des Deutschlernens verbracht haben, war dabei entscheidend. Um eine Antwort darauf zu bekommen, wurden Lernende zu dem Faktor 'Sommerferien' mittels qualitativer Erhebungsmethode befragt. Die Resultate wurden mit Lernstrategien angeknüpft. Aus der Forschung resultierten zwei Ansätze: Erstens sollten einige Konzepte entwickelt werden, damit die Lernenden ihre Deutschkenntnisse während ihrer Sommerferien kontinuierlich weiterentwickeln. Zweitens sollten einige Maßnahmen getroffen werden, womit DaF_Lernende ihre gelernten Deutschkenntnisse wenigstens stabil halten können.
Bu çalışmada Türkiye'de ilköğretim kurumlarından itibaren en az bir yabancı dil öğretilmesine rağmen neden Ölçme Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi (ÖSYM) tarafından hazırlanan, uygulanan ve değerlendirilen sınavlarda birçok kişinin istenilen başarıya ulaşamadığı, özellikle dört yıl yabancı dilde eğitim alan Almanca öğretmenlik lisans mezunu öğretmen adaylarının Öğretmenlik Alan Bilgisi Testinden neden istedikleri sonuçları elde edemedikleri araştırılmış, sınavlara girenlerin sınav sorularını ne ölçüde doğru cevaplandırdıkları veya sorulara cevap verirken neden hata yaptıkları sorularına cevap aranmıştır. Araştırmaya ilişkin veriler rastgele seçilen ÖSYM'nin hazırlamış olduğu sınavlardan alınan örnek sorulardan oluşturulan bir örnek sınavın Trakya Üniversitesi lisans öğrencilerine uygulanması suretiyle toplanmış, okuduğunu anlama, çeviri gibi birçok soru tipinde iyi sonuçlar elde edilmesi ancak dilbilgisine ilişkin soruların çok azının doğru cevaplandırılması sonucunda araştırma cevap şıkları arasında en az bir adet bağlaç bulunan sorular ile sınırlandırılmıştır. Bağlaçlar üzerine yapılan inceleme, ÖSYM tarafından hazırlanan ve uygulanan sınavlarda günlük yaşamda sık kullanılan bağlaçların yanı sıra çok nadir kullanılan bağlaçlara da yer verildiğini ve sorulara doğru cevap verebilmek için lisans süresince kullanılan dilbilgisi kitaplarındaki konuları tekrar etmenin yeterli olmayacağı, merkezi sınavlarda yer alan soruları doğru cevaplandırabilmek için özellikle şıklarda yer alan uygun bir kelime ile tamamlanması gereken cümlelerin anlamlarının çok iyi anlaşılması ve bunun için de çok geniş bir kelime hazinesine sahip olunması ve öte yandan bağlaçların üstlenebilecekleri tüm işlevlerini ve anlamsal ve sözdizimsel özelliklerini bilmek gerektiğini ortaya koymuştur. Ancak Almanca Öğretmenliği lisans eğitimi süresince kullanılan dilbilgisi kitapları incelendiğinde, bunlarda her bir bağlaca yer verilmediği gibi bağlaçların sunuluş biçiminde de farklılıkların olduğu ve her kaynakta bağlaçların her bir anlamsal ve sözdizimsel özelliğine yer verilmediği, bu nedenle Almanca öğretmen adaylarının sınavlarda başarılı olmak için lisans süresince aldıkları eğitimin yanı sıra mutlaka daha başka kaynaklardan da aydalanarak bireysel olarak ek çalışmalar yapmaları gerektiği sonucuna varılmıştır.
Kadınlar ve erkekler yapısal farklılıkları dışında birçok açıdan ayrılıklar göstermektedir. Bu ayrılıklar sadece fiziki görünüşte, giyimde, hareketlerde değil, genel olarak davranış, uygulama, düşünme, alışkanlıklar ve dil gibi alanlarda da görülebilmektedir. Ayrıca kadın ve erkeğe sahip oldukları biyolojik cinsiyetleri haricinde toplumsal roller de yüklenmektedir. Bu roller de kadın ve erkek arasında mevcut olan farklılıkların toplumsal açıdan etkileşime girmesini sağlamaktadır. Toplumsal etkileşimler kadınlarla erkeklerin dillerinde de gözlemlenebilmektedir. Dil, bu durumda biyolojik cinsiyet ve toplumsal rol etkileşimlerinin bir arada bulunduğu bir öğedir. Aynı dili konuşmalarına, dilin aynı sözcükleri ve kurallarını kullanmalarına rağmen, kadınların dilleri ile erkeklerin dilleri arasında farklılıklar bulunmaktadır. Genel olarak deskriptif - analitik yöntemle ilerleyecek olan bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye'deki kadın dili araştırmalarına göz atmaktır. Çalışmanın kuramsal kısmında, Türkiye'de yapılmış olan kadın dili araştırmalarına değinilerek hangi durumda olduğunun gözden geçirilmesi düşünülmektedir. Dünyada kadın ve erkek dili ile ilgili çalışmalara 20. yüzyıl başlarında ağırlık verilmiştir. Bu çalışmalar sadece içeriksel değil, aynı zamanda sözlüksel, retorik ve sözdizimsel bağlamda da gerçekleştirilmiştir. Özellikle Almanya’da oldukça geniş bir araştırma alanı olan bu konunun, Türkiye'de bu kadar geniş çapta ele alınmadığı görülmektedir. Çalışmanın uygulama bölümünde medyadaki kadın dili ele alınacaktır. Bu kısımda medya metinleri değerlendirilerek söz konusu metinlerdeki kadın dili incelenecektir. Kadın dili değişkeninin görsel medyada hangi özellikleri ile ortaya çıktığı, ne şekilde gözlemlenebildiği gerek içeriksel, gerekse sözlüksel, retorik ve sözdizimsel bağlamda incelenecektir.
Almanca dilbilgisinde tümcenin temel öğeleri genellikle eylem temel alınarak yapılır. Türkçe dilbilgisi için bu durum sözde kalmaktadır. Çünkü öğeler genellikle eylemin birleşim değeri göz önünde bulundurulmadan, o anda tümcede rastlantısal olarak bulunan öğeler olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Dolayısıyla, nitel araştırma yöntemiyle internetten ve basılı dokümanlardan elde edilen verilerin yorumlanmasıyla oluşan bu makalede, birleşim değeri çerçevesinde değerlendirme yapılmış olup eylemin gerektirdiği öğeler buna göre ele alınmalıdır. Diğer bir sorun da, Almanca dilbilgisi bağlamında üzerinde genel anlamda uzlaşılan, ancak Türkçede tartışmalı olan nesne terimi ve kavramıdır. Dolayısıyla bu çalışmada genel anlamda nesne kavramından yola çıkılarak sonilgeçli nesne kavramına gelinecektir. Amaç, Türkçe - Almanca nesne türlerini karşılaştırmak değil, Türk dili bağlamında “nesne”nin daha iyi anlaşılmasını sağlamak için Almancadan da örnekler vermektir. Nesne teriminin Türkçede Akkusativobjekt ile sınırlı tutulmasının yanlış olduğu ve çıkma durumu nesnesi, bulunma durumu nesnesi, sonilgeçli nesne gibi terimlerin dilbilgisel bir gerçek olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Bu bağlamda Türkçede eyleyen (Aktant) olarak sonilgeçli nesne (Postpositionalobjekt) gerektiren eylemler olduğu saptanmıştır.
Causative, which is analyzed in the context of voice, differs widely in Turkish and German languages. A causative can be obtained nearly from each verb in Turkish language while this category is not productive in German Language. Like prefixes, which are of great importance in German language, the causative has the same significance in Turkish language. Causatives can be divided into three: a) lexical causative, causative existing in words' own meaning; for instance, there exists such a relationship between the words "slide" and "fall"; b) morphological causative consists of morphemes (öl-dür-t-mek); c) whereas, the context is important for the operant causative. When we say “It smells gas in here’ it may have been intended to open a window and we can make it done. There is a direct connection between the causative and causality. Because, in causative instead of doing something directly, it may be caused to be done or occurred. The notion of causative in German has been reviewed in the semantic context at a low degree. This is because of the fact that, morphological causative verbs are fewer and new causative voices can't be formed. However, this issue has been handled in a very detailed manner especially at morphological level in Turkish language. There is even fine detail under the title causative itself. The most important characteristic of causative is to change the combination value of the verbs. However, the relation between causative and passive is just the opposite of this and asymmetric. Structures having semantic similarities with causatives and named as Funktionsverbgefüge (put into practice = apply) in German exist. Reciprocal voices and reflexive voices, the most important voices of Turkish language, generally allow the formation of causative verb.
Das Buch gegen das Verschwinden ist Ulrike Almut Sandigs zweite Prosaveröffentlichung und kann mit dem Etikett lyrische Prosa versehen werden, da die Autorin bisher doch zumeist im lyrischen Bereich veröffentlicht hat. Klar und hart sind die Sätze, überlegt durchdacht die Szenen, ausgefeilt die Erzählstrukturen, die sich manchmal jedoch erst später strukturieren. Und doch findet Ulrike Almut Sandig einen Ton, der die Geschichte Die Blauen Augen Deiner Mutter in einer schwebenden Ambivalenz hält" (Schröder 2015). Sicher, man könnte all das rein realistisch lesen und daneben auch versuchen sich eine Meinung über den Gezi-Park zu bilden, als würde man eine rationale Erklärung für die Thematik finden. "Und doch sickert in die Grundfesten des Plausiblen immer wieder eine Form von Unheimlichkeit und Restunerfindlichkeit ein. Sandig torpediert Gewissheiten, die ihrer Figuren und die ihrer Leser" (ebd.). Ohne sich einem Erzählschema unterzuordnen, ist allen Texten in diesem Band eines gemeinsam: Etwas kommt abhanden, löst sich in Luft auf, verschwindet. Zurück bleiben Vereinsamte, die, wenn überhaupt, über das Erzählen xistieren.
Oral anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (OAC-ICH) accounts for nearly 20% of all ICH. The number of patients with an indication for oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) increases with increasing age. OAT became less complicate with the introduction of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) OAT because of easier handling, favorable risk-benefit profile, reduced rates of ICH compared to vitamin K antagonists and no need for routine coagulation testing. Consequently, despite a better safety profile of NOAC the number of patients with OAC-ICH will increase. The mortality and complication rates of OAC-ICH are high and therefore they are the most feared complication of OAT. Immediate normalization of coagulation is the main goal and therefore knowledge of pharmacodynamics and coagulation status is essential. Laboratory measurements of anticoagulant activity in NOAC patients is challenging as specific tests are not widely available. More accessible tests such as the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time have important limitations. In dabigatran-associated ICH 5 g Idarucizumab should be administered. In rivaroxaban and apixaban-associated ICHs administration of andexanet alpha should be considered. Prothrombin complex concentrate may be considered if andexanet alpha is not available or in case of an ICH associated with edoxaban.
The authors review the current status of percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation with the goal to prevent ischemic stroke and systemic embolism and to reduce oral anticoagulation associated bleeding. While we cover the historical and also surgical background, and all tested devices, the main focus rests on the single currently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved LAA occluder, the WATCHMAN device, and its approval process. The authors also give a critical appraisal beyond the review of mere facts, trying to put the current data into perspective.
Background: Obesity is a global problem leading to reduced life expectancy, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and many types of cancer. Even people willing to accept treatment only achieve a mean weight loss of about 5 kg using commercial weight loss programs. Surgical interventions, e.g. sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass are effective but accompanied by risk of serious complications and side effects. Less invasive endoscopic procedures mainly comprise the intragastric balloon (IB) and the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL). To date, a randomized comparison between these devices has not been undertaken or shown to be superior to a sham procedure.
Methods: We designed a multi-center, randomized, patient and assessor-blinded, controlled trial comparing weight loss in endoscopically implanted IB vs. DJBL vs. a sham procedure. A total of 150 patients with a BMI > 35 kg/m2 or > 30 with obesity-related comorbidities and indication for proton pump inhibitors are randomized to receive either IB, DJBL or a sham gastroscopy (2:2:1 ratio). All participants undergo regular dietary consultation. The IB will be removed after 6 months, whereas the DJBL will be explanted after 12 months. All patients will receive gastroscopies at implantation and explantation of the devices or sedation without gastroscopy to maintain blinding. Main exclusion criteria are malignant diseases, peptic ulcer or previous bariatric intervention. Weight loss 12 months after explantation of the devices, changes in comorbidities, quality of life, complication rates and safety will be evaluated.
Discussion: This trial could help to identify the most effective and safest endoscopic device, thus determining the new standard procedure for endoscopic bariatric treatment.
Trial registration: 16th January 2017. DRKS00011036. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Different response of Ptch mutant and Ptch wildtype Rhabdomyosarcoma toward SMO and PI3K inhibitors
(2018)
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma with poor prognosis. RMS frequently show Hedgehog (HH) pathway activity, which is predominantly seen in the embryonal subtype (ERMS). They also show activation of Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. Here we compared the therapeutic effectiveness and the impact on HH target gene expression of Smoothened (SMO) antagonists with those of the PI3K inhibitor pictilisib in ERMS with and without mutations in the HH receptor Patched1 (PTCH). Our data demonstrate that growth of ERMS showing canonical Hh signaling activity due to Ptch germline mutations is efficiently reduced by SMO antagonists. This goes along with strong downregulation of the Hh target Gli1. Likewise Ptch mutant tumors are highly responsive toward the PI3K inhibitor pictilisib, which involves modulation of AKT and caspase activity. Pictilisib also modulates Hh target gene expression, which, however, is rather not correlated with its antitumoral effects. In contrast, sporadic ERMS, which usually express HH target genes without having PTCH mutation, apparently lack canonical HH signaling activity. Thus, stimulation by Sonic HE (SHH) or SAG (Smoothened agonist) or inhibition by SMO antagonists do not modulate HH target gene expression. In addition, SMO antagonists do not provoke efficient anticancer effects and rather exert off-target effects. In contrast, pictilisib and other PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors potently inhibit cellular growth. They also efficiently inhibit HH target gene expression. However, of whether this is correlated with their antitumoral effects it is not clear. Together, these data suggest that PI3K inhibitors are a good and reliable therapeutic option for all ERMS, whereas SMO inhibitors might only be beneficial for ERMS driven by PTCH mutations.
The opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is able to grow on carnitine. The genes encoding the pathway for carnitine degradation to the intermediate malic acid are known but the transporter mediating carnitine uptake remained to be identified. The open reading frame HMPREF0010_01347 (aci01347) of Acinetobacter baumannii is annotated as a gene encoding a potential transporter of the betaine/choline/carnitine transporter (BCCT) family. To study the physiological function of Aci01347, the gene was deleted from A. baumannii ATCC 19606. The mutant was no longer able to grow on carnitine as sole carbon and energy source demonstrating the importance of this transporter for carnitine metabolism. Aci01347 was produced in Escherichia coli MKH13, a strain devoid of any compatible solute transporter, and the recombinant E. coli MKH13 strain was found to take up carnitine in an energy‐dependent fashion. Aci01347 also transported choline, a compound known to be accumulated under osmotic stress. Choline transport was osmolarity‐independent which is consistent with the absence of an extended C‐terminus found in osmo‐activated BCCT. We propose that the Aci01347 is the carnitine transporter mediating the first step in the growth of A. baumannii on carnitine.
Danger signals in trauma
(2018)
This review summarizes a short list of currently discussed trauma-induced danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMP). Due to the bivalent character and often pleiotropic effects of a DAMP, it is difficult to describe its “friend or foe” role in post-traumatic inflammation and regeneration, both systemically as well locally in tissues. DAMP can be used as biomarkers to indicate or monitor disease or injury severity, but also may serve as clinically applicable parameters for better indication and timing of surgery. Due to the inflammatory processes at the local tissue level or the systemic level, the precise role of DAMP is not always clear to define. While in vitro and experimental studies allow for the detection of these biomarkers at the different levels of an organism—cellular, tissue, circulation—this is not always easily transferable to the human setting. Increased knowledge exploring the dual role of DAMP after trauma, and concentrating on their nuclear functions, transcriptional targets, release mechanisms, cellular sources, multiple functions, their interactions and potential therapeutic targeting is warranted.
Oncogenic rearrangements leading to targetable gene fusions are well-established cancer driver events in lung adenocarcinoma. Accurate and reliable detection of these gene fusions is crucial to select the appropriate targeted therapy for each patient. We compared the targeted next-generation-sequencing Oncomine Focus Assay (OFA; Thermo Fisher Scientific) with conventional ALK FISH and anti-Alk immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 52 lung adenocarcinomas (10 ALK rearranged, 18 non-ALK rearranged, and 24 untested cases). We found a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for detection of ALK rearrangements using the OFA panel. In addition, targeted next generation sequencing allowed us to analyze a set of 23 driver genes in a single assay. Besides EML4-ALK (11/52 cases), we detected EZR-ROS1 (1/52 cases), KIF5B-RET (1/52 cases) and MET-MET (4/52 cases) fusions. All EML4-ALK, EZR-ROS1 and KIF5B-RET fusions were confirmed by multiplexed targeted next generation sequencing assay (Oncomine Solid Tumor Fusion Transcript Kit, Thermo Fisher Scientific). All cases with EML4-ALK rearrangement were confirmed by Alk immunohistochemistry and all but one by ALK FISH. In our experience, targeted next-generation sequencing is a reliable and timesaving tool for multiplexed detection of targetable rearrangements. Therefore, targeted next-generation sequencing represents an efficient alternative to time-consuming single target assays currently used in molecular pathology.
The p300/CBP‐associated factor (PCAF) and related GCN5 bromodomain‐containing lysine acetyl transferases are members of subfamily I of the bromodomain phylogenetic tree. Iterative cycles of rational inhibitor design and biophysical characterization led to the discovery of the triazolopthalazine‐based L‐45 (dubbed L‐Moses) as the first potent, selective, and cell‐active PCAF bromodomain (Brd) inhibitor. Synthesis from readily available (1R,2S)‐(−)‐norephedrine furnished L‐45 in enantiopure form. L‐45 was shown to disrupt PCAF‐Brd histone H3.3 interaction in cells using a nanoBRET assay, and a co‐crystal structure of L‐45 with the homologous Brd PfGCN5 from Plasmodium falciparum rationalizes the high selectivity for PCAF and GCN5 bromodomains. Compound L‐45 shows no observable cytotoxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), good cell‐permeability, and metabolic stability in human and mouse liver microsomes, supporting its potential for in vivo use.
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.
Species identification of adult African blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance
(2017)
Necrophagous blowflies can provide an excellent source of evidence for forensic entomologists and are also relevant to problems in public health, medicine, and animal health. However, access to useful information about these blowflies is constrained by the need to correctly identify the flies, and the poor availability of reliable, accessible identification tools is a serious obstacle to the development of forensic entomology in the majority of African countries. In response to this need, a high-quality key to the adults of all species of forensically relevant blowflies of Africa has been prepared, drawing on high-quality entomological materials and modern focus-stacking photomicroscopy. This new key can be easily applied by investigators inexperienced in the taxonomy of blowflies and is made available through a highly accessible online platform. Problematic diagnostic characters used in previous keys are discussed.
2010 yılında Polonya'nın Varşova kentinde "Vielheit und Einheit der Germanistik" teması ile gerçekleştirilen 12. Uluslararası Germanistik Kongresi’nin ardından 13. Uluslararası Germanistik Kongresi 2015 yılında "Germanistik zwischen Tradition und Innovation" teması ile Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti Şanghay Tongji Üniversitesi'nde 23-30 Ağustos 2015 tarihlerinde düzenlendi. Türkiye'nin de aralarında bulunduğu 96 ülkeden kongreye katılan 1200'ün üzerinde değerli akademisyen ve araştırmacı kongrede bildirilerini sundular.
Der 13. Weltkongress der Internationalen Vereinigung für Germanistik (IVG) fand vom 23.08.2015 bis zum 30.08.2015 unter dem Motto "Germanistik zwischen Tradition und Innovation" in Shanghai/China statt. Gastgeber dieses vielfältigen und reichhaltigen internationalen Kongresses war die Tongji-Universität. Mehr als 1200 Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer aus 69 Ländern haben an diesem Kongress, der alle fünf Jahre organisiert wird, teilgenommen. Auch die Türkei beteiligte sich mit ca. 30 Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern aus Edirne bis Van an diesem Kongress.
Das wissenschaftliche Interesse auf dem Feld der Germanistik ist in den letzten Jahren in Rumänien, auch dank Herta Müller, die 2009 den Nobelpreis für Literatur bekommen hat, stark gestiegen. Nach dem letzten Kongress der Germanisten Rumäniens 2012 in Bukarest wurde der 10. Kongress der Germanisten Rumäniens vom 01. bis 04. Juni 2015 in der Aula an der Universität Transilvania in Braşov/Kronstadt veranstaltet. Die Tagung wird alle drei Jahre an jeweils wechselnden Hochschulen vom dortigen Germanistik-Fachbereich veranstaltet, was zeigt, dass die Germanistik in Rumänien an vielen Orten durch zum Teil kleine, aber aktive Lehrstühle vertreten ist.
Considering the misunderstanding of the particles used as an adverb by itself in closely related languages, we will try to provide the comprehension of sense of language about this area, which is missing in German. For this purpose, opposite language pairs seeming logical and etimological proofs about language variation will be presented. Firstly, we will try to explain what the sense of language is. We believe that it is more appropriate to say 'language acquisition' which can be acquired and developed by means of activities in foreign language classes. Examples verify this. In the conclusion, some other clarifying questions follow.
Sowohl international als auch national ist erkennbar, dass Länder in Bereichen Wirtschaft, kommunikative und informative Technologien, Politik, Bildung und Gesellschaft in unterschiedlicher Art und Weise mit kulturellen bzw. interkulturellen Tendenzen konfrontiert sind. Diese Tatsachen reflektieren somit, dass Gesellschaften immer mehr mit interkulturellen Herausforderungen in Kontakt kommen. Interkulturelles Lernen, Interkulturalität und interkulturelle Kompetenz enthalten gleichfalls im gegenwärtigen und modernen Fremdsprachenunterricht eine bedeutende Rolle und ein wichtiges Aufgabenfeld.
Present conditions are affecting the educational process and as a result of these changes restructuring these processes is essential. There is no doubt that in teaching foreign languages in general and in particular German as a foreign language, one of the prerequisites to gain for providing a qualified German language teaching is the training of qualified and well equipped German teachers. In this context one of the substantial competences in the training process is the linguistic competence. It is aimed that at the end of their study period, German language teacher candidates should have the ability of using the German language in written and spoken area and creating models for their prospective students.
Despite the new technological developments writing has not lost its importance; on the contrary, ist importance has been increasing day by day. German teacher candidates should be trained to be able to express themself written as well as verbally to respond to their students' writing needs. For this reason students who graduated from the German Language Teaching Department of Hasan Ali Yücel Faculty of Education of Istanbul University in 2013-2014 academic year were asked to evaluate their writing competence.
The self assessments results of the candidate teachers are going to be compared with the results of the writing competence part of the Goethe Zertifikat C1 examination. The aim is to determine proficiency in the duration of 4 years. The results also constitute the scientific basis of curricular discussions in the field of writing courses of the German Language Teaching Department.
In den letzten Jahren ist eine kaum überschaubare Anzahl von Büchern zum Thema Körpermodifikationen erschienen, was aber bisher fehlt, ist ein klares Verständnis und eine kurze überblicksartige Dаrstellung der gängigen Formen der Fachausdrücke im Bereich der ästhetischen Chirurgie, die dem linguistisch-medizinisch Interessierten einen prägnanten Einblick in die Herkunft, die Wоrtbildung und die Häufigkeit und vergleichende Analyse der medizinischen Termini liefert. Deshalb soll in diesem Artikel versucht werden, einen kleinen Beitrag zur Bildung und Entwicklung ästhetisch-medizinischer Terminologie zu leisten. Bei dem vorliegenden Artikel handelt es sich um eine deskriptive Terminоlоgiearbeit, deren Ziel es ist, die verwendete Terminologie eines Fachgebietes zu beschreiben und aufzuzeichnen
This article focuses primarily on three areas: First the article deals with Alfred Döblin's concept of the novel and the function of the montage technique from his perspective. Secondly, the article draws attention to the fact that Alfred Döblin, a neurologist by profession, who later dedicated himself exclusively to his writing, used the montage technique intensively in his great city novel Berlin Alexanderplatz. The technique, which operates at different levels of language, narrative technique and plot, is demonstrated by selected examples from the novel. In each case the intention of the novelist is discussed. The article considers whether individual accumulating elements accord with the wholeness of the novel, and if so, how this interesting synthesis occurs. The final focus is on his efforts to use the montage technique to portray the big city. In the case of Berlin Alexanderplatz, this effort ultimately ends with a big city epic. In this study, we consider how Döblin used the montage technique in Berlin Alexanderplatz, which was central, and new for German literature at that time. Additionally, narrative styles and techniques as parables, paraboles, sound associations, word and rhyme repetition and relevant passages are supported by quotations from the novel.
Else LaskerSchüler (1869-1945), among the significant expressionist woman writers, did not only suffer from being both a woman and author, but also had to struggle under difficulties of being a hebrew. In this paper, especially the letter novel titled "Der Malik : Eine Kaisergeschichte" has been handled in the light of Homi K. Bhabha's 'Third Space Theory'. In regard to this, the "Third Space", which is defined by postcolonial theoretician Homi K. Bhabha as an extra place where minorities and outcast groups can express themselves in his work "The Location of Culture", is adapted to the literary "Orient" and defined once again in Else Lasker-Schüler's novel as it was never approached and interpreted before. In this sense, this supports the relevance to analyze her mentioned works in terms of the "Third Space Theory". Else Lasker-Schüler constructed a new world for herself through literature; her works were her life and her life was her works.
Black Humor, Brimstone Grotesque and A Terrifying Scenery in the work of Thomas Bernhard named "The Painter". Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) is one of the most important writers of the Austrian postwar literature. All of his works reflect the characteristics of that period. "Bernhardesque" literature (just as the "Kafkaesque") always shapes the language and brings it out forcing the maximum limits of the semantics and stylistics expression facilities of the language. Bernhard generally figures out the inner world of the modern people psychologically disturbed and represents their wholly technological, noncommunicative and hostile environment in his works, especially features ironic, absurd, and grotesque and a little bit comic elements. Thomas Bernhard, a worldwide famous writer, poet and playwright, wrote a prose novel entitled "Ereignisse" (Events) that includes thirty-one extraordinary stories in 1957. These are the stories can be read both independently from each other and also in coherence. This study is aimed to analyses one of these works, the twelfth one in the light of eclectical way, mostly involves 'black humor' which is named "Der Anstreicher" (The Painter). The term Black Humor is generally defined for the works characterized by a desperate, sardonic humor intended to induce laughter as the appropriate response to the apparent meaninglessness and absurdity of existence. This short story of Bernhard tells about an "Event" derived its theme from the daily life and can be thought as a simple work accident but it brings a death to his main character. Narrator narrates this fatal and ordinary event with a horrific, grotesque and agonizing absurdity and as we try to figure out in this study; The Painter includes 'Black Humor' in this context.
Biological invasions are frequently studied topics in ecological research. Unfortunately, within invasion ecology parasite-associated aspects such as parasite impacts on new environments and on local host populations are less well-studied. Round gobies migrating from the Ponto-Caspian region into the Rhine River system are heavily infested with the Ponto-Caspian acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis. As shown by experimental infestations the acanthocephalans occur as pre-adults in host-encapsulated cysts within the internal organs of the migrating gobies, but remain infective for their definitive host chub. Recently, we described the occurrence of larvae of another parasite, the invasive eel swim bladder nematode Anguillicola crassus, in these Pomphorhynchus cysts. In the present study, we could prove the infectivity of the nematode larvae for European eels for the first time. After experimental inoculation of Pomphorhynchus cysts occasionally infested with A. crassus larvae, the nematodes grow to maturity and reproduce whereas all P. laevis were unviable. We therefore postulate that the nematode larvae behave like immunological hitchhikers that follow a “Trojan horse strategy” in order to avoid the paratenic host’s immune response. Accordingly, the interaction between both invasive parasites gives first evidence that the invasional meltdown hypothesis may also apply to parasites.
New technologies and therapies designed to facilitate development of personalized treatments are rapidly emerging in the field of biomedicine. Strikingly, the goal of personalized medicine refined the concept of therapy by developing cell-based therapies, the so-called “living drugs”. Breakthrough advancements were achieved in this regard in the fields of gene therapy, cell therapy, tissue-engineered products and advanced therapeutic techniques. The Advanced Therapies in Healthcare symposium, organized by the Clinical Research Center Department of Sidra Medicine, in Doha, Qatar (October 2017), brought together world-renowned experts from the fields of oncology, hematology, immunology, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and stem cells to offer a comprehensive picture of the status of worldwide advanced therapies in both pre-clinical and clinical development, providing insights to the research phase, clinical data and regulatory aspects of these therapies. Highlights of the meeting are provided in this meeting report.
Background: Histological evidence suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is accompanied by a reduced integrity of the grey-white matter boundary. This has also recently been confirmed by a structural neuroimaging study in vivo reporting significantly reduced grey-white matter tissue contrast (GWC) in adult individuals (18–42 years of age) with ASD relative to typically developing (TD) controls. However, it remains unknown whether the neuroanatomical differences in ASD at the grey-white matter boundary are stable across development or are age-dependent.
Methods: Here, we examined differences in the neurodevelopmental trajectories of GWC in a cross-sectional sample of 77 male ASD individuals and 76 typically developing (TD) controls across childhood and early adulthood (from 7 to 25 years).
Results: Using nested model comparisons, we first established that the developmental trajectory of GWC is complex in many regions across the cortex and includes linear and non-linear effects of age. Second, while ASD individuals have significantly reduced GWC overall, these differences are age-dependent and are most prominent during childhood (< 15 years).
Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that differences in GWC in ASD are unlikely to reflect atypical grey matter cytoarchitecture alone, but may also represent other aspects of the cortical architecture such as age-dependent variability in myelin integrity.
Background: The focus of this study is to identify particular microRNA (miRNA) signatures in exosomes derived from plasma of 435 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive and triple-negative (TN) subtypes of breast cancer (BC).
Methods: First, miRNA expression profiles were determined in exosomes derived from the plasma of 15 TNBC patients before neoadjuvant therapy using a quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR-based microRNA array card containing 384 different miRNAs. Forty-five miRNAs associated with different clinical parameters were then selected and mounted on microRNA array cards that served for the quantification of exosomal miRNAs in 435 BC patients before therapy and 20 healthy women. Confocal microscopy, Western blot, and ELISA were used for exosome characterization.
Results: Quantification of 45 exosomal miRNAs showed that compared with healthy women, 10 miRNAs in the entire cohort of BC patients, 13 in the subgroup of 211 HER2-positive BC, and 17 in the subgroup of 224 TNBC were significantly deregulated. Plasma levels of 18 exosomal miRNAs differed between HER2-positive and TNBC subtypes, and 9 miRNAs of them also differed from healthy women. Exosomal miRNAs were significantly associated with the clinicopathological and risk factors. In uni- and multivariate models, miR-155 (p = 0.002, p = 0.003, respectively) and miR-301 (p = 0.002, p = 0.001, respectively) best predicted pathological complete response (pCR).
Conclusion: Our findings show a network of deregulated exosomal miRNAs with specific expression patterns in exosomes of HER2-positive and TNBC patients that are also associated with clinicopathological parameters and pCR within each BC subtype.
The challenges posed by climate and land use change are increasingly complex, with ever-increasing and accelerating impacts on the global environmental system. The establishment of an internationally harmonized, integrated, and long-term operated environmental monitoring infrastructure is one of the major challenges of modern environmental research. Increased efforts are currently being made in Europe to establish such a harmonized pan-European observation infrastructure, and the European network of Long-Term Ecological Research sites – LTER-Europe – is of particular importance. By evaluating 477 formally accredited LTER-Europe sites, this study gives an overview of the current distribution of these infrastructures and the present condition of long-term environmental research in Europe. We compiled information on long-term biotic and abiotic observations and measurements and examined the representativeness in terms of continental biogeographical and socio-ecological gradients. The results were used to identify gaps in both measurements and coverage of the aforementioned gradients. Furthermore, an overview of the current state of the LTER-Europe observation strategies is given. The latter forms the basis for investigating the comparability of existing LTER-Europe monitoring concepts both in terms of observational design as well as in terms of the scope of the environmental compartments, variables and properties covered.
We examined alterations in E/I-balance in schizophrenia (ScZ) through measurements of resting-state gamma-band activity in participants meeting clinical high-risk (CHR) criteria (n = 88), 21 first episode (FEP) patients and 34 chronic ScZ-patients. Furthermore, MRS-data were obtained in CHR-participants and matched controls. Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) resting-state activity was examined at source level and MEG-data were correlated with neuropsychological scores and clinical symptoms. CHR-participants were characterized by increased 64–90 Hz power. In contrast, FEP- and ScZ-patients showed aberrant spectral power at both low- and high gamma-band frequencies. MRS-data showed a shift in E/I-balance toward increased excitation in CHR-participants, which correlated with increased occipital gamma-band power. Finally, neuropsychological deficits and clinical symptoms in FEP and ScZ-patients were correlated with reduced gamma band-activity, while elevated psychotic symptoms in the CHR group showed the opposite relationship. The current study suggests that resting-state gamma-band power and altered Glx/GABA ratio indicate changes in E/I-balance parameters across illness stages in ScZ.
Background: This study assessed the impact of medical students’ emotion recognition ability and extraversion on their empathic communication, as perceived by simulated patients in a training context.
Methods: This study used a crossed-effect data structure and examined 245 students in their fourth year of medical school. The students’ personality traits were assessed based on a self-assessment questionnaire of the short form of the Big Five Inventory; their emotion recognition ability was measured using a performance test (Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-2, Adult Facial Expressions). Simulated patients evaluated the medical students’ empathic communication.
Results: Students with a combination of high emotion recognition ability and extraversion received more positive ratings from simulated patients than their fellow students with a combination of emotion recognition ability and low extraversion. The main effects of emotion recognition or extraversion were not sufficient to yield similar effects. There were no other effects related to the remaining Big Five variables.
Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that to build rapport with patients, medical staff need to combine emotional capabilities with a dispositional interest in interpersonal encounters.
Most studies in the life sciences and other disciplines involve generating and analyzing numerical data of some type as the foundation for scientific findings. Working with numerical data involves multiple challenges. These include reproducible data acquisition, appropriate data storage, computationally correct data analysis, appropriate reporting and presentation of the results, and suitable data interpretation.
Finding and correcting mistakes when analyzing and interpreting data can be frustrating and time-consuming. Presenting or publishing incorrect results is embarrassing but not uncommon. Particular sources of errors are inappropriate use of statistical methods and incorrect interpretation of data by software. To detect mistakes as early as possible, one should frequently check intermediate and final results for plausibility. Clearly documenting how quantities and results were obtained facilitates correcting mistakes. Properly understanding data is indispensable for reaching well-founded conclusions from experimental results. Units are needed to make sense of numbers, and uncertainty should be estimated to know how meaningful results are. Descriptive statistics and significance testing are useful tools for interpreting numerical results if applied correctly. However, blindly trusting in computed numbers can also be misleading, so it is worth thinking about how data should be summarized quantitatively to properly answer the question at hand. Finally, a suitable form of presentation is needed so that the data can properly support the interpretation and findings. By additionally sharing the relevant data, others can access, understand, and ultimately make use of the results.
These quick tips are intended to provide guidelines for correctly interpreting, efficiently analyzing, and presenting numerical data in a useful way.
Perception of irony has been observed to be impaired in adults with autism spectrum disorder. In typically developed adults, the mismatch of verbal and nonverbal emotional cues can be perceived as an expression of irony even in the absence of any further contextual information. In this study, we evaluate to what extent high functioning autists perceive this incongruence as expressing irony. Our results show that incongruent verbal and nonverbal signals create an impression of irony significantly less often in participants with high-functioning autism than in typically developed control subjects. The extent of overall autistic symptomatology as measured with the autism-spectrum questionnaire (AQ), however, does not correlate with the reduced tendency to attribute incongruent stimuli as expressing irony. Therefore, the attenuation in irony attribution might rather be related to specific subdomains of autistic traits, such as a reduced tendency to interpret communicative signals in terms of complex intentional mental states. The observed differences in irony attribution support the assumption that a less pronounced tendency to engage in higher order mentalization processes might underlie the impairment of pragmatic language understanding in high functioning autism.
Invasive species provide a unique opportunity to evaluate factors controlling biogeographic distributions; we can consider introduction success as an experiment testing suitability of environmental conditions. Predicting potential distributions of spreading species is not easy, and forecasting potential distributions with changing climate is even more difficult. Using the globally invasive coypu (Myocastor coypus [Molina, 1782]), we evaluate and compare the utility of a simplistic ecophysiological based model and a correlative model to predict current and future distribution. The ecophysiological model was based on winter temperature relationships with nutria survival. We developed correlative statistical models using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling and biologically relevant climate data with a global extent. We applied the ecophysiological based model to several global circulation model (GCM) predictions for mid-century. We used global coypu introduction data to evaluate these models and to explore a hypothesized physiological limitation, finding general agreement with known coypu distribution locally and globally and support for an upper thermal tolerance threshold. Global circulation model based model results showed variability in coypu predicted distribution among GCMs, but had general agreement of increasing suitable area in the USA. Our methods highlighted the dynamic nature of the edges of the coypu distribution due to climate non-equilibrium, and uncertainty associated with forecasting future distributions. Areas deemed suitable habitat, especially those on the edge of the current known range, could be used for early detection of the spread of coypu populations for management purposes. Combining approaches can be beneficial to predicting potential distributions of invasive species now and in the future and in exploring hypotheses of factors controlling distributions.
Soil frequently occurs as a contaminant on numerous sea, land and air transport pathways. It can carry unwanted invasive species, is widely recognized as a biosecurity risk, and is usually strictly regulated by biosecurity authorities. However, little is known about relative risk levels between pathways, thus authorities have limited capability to identify and target the riskiest soil pathways for management. We conducted a an experiment to test the hypotheses that biosecurity risks from soil organisms will increase both with declining transport duration and with increasing protection from environmental extremes. Soil was collected from two sites, a native forest remnant and an orchard, and stored on, in and under sea containers, or in cupboards, and assayed after 0, 3, 6 and 12 months for bacteria, fungi, nematodes and seeds. Results showed that viability of Pseudomonas spp., bacteria, nematodes and plants declined over 12 months, irrespective of soil source. Also, mortality of most biota was higher when exposed to sunlight, moisture and desiccation than when protected. However, bacterial and fungal numbers were higher in exposed environments, possibly due to ongoing colonization of exposed soil by airborne propagules. The results were consistent with our observations of organisms in soil intercepted from airports and sea ports, and indicated there is potential to rank risks from transported soils based partly on transport duration and environmental exposure. This would help authorities to optimally allocate management resources according to pathway-specific risks.
Introduced species lists provide essential background information for biological invasions research and management. The compilation of these lists is, however, prone to a variety of errors. We highlight the frequency and consequences of such errors using introduced Melaleuca (sensu lato, including Callistemon) species in South Africa as a case study. We examined 111 herbarium specimens from South Africa and noted the categories and sub-categories of errors that occurred in identification. We also used information from herbarium specimens and distribution data collected in the field to determine whether a species was introduced, naturalized and invasive. We found that 72% of the specimens were not named correctly. These were due to human error (70%) (misidentification, and improved identifications) and species identification problems (30%) (synonyms arising from inclusion of Callistemon, and unresolved taxonomy). At least 36 Melaleuca species have been introduced to South Africa, and field observations indicate that ten of these have naturalized, including five that are invasive. While most of the errors likely have negligible impact on management, we highlight one case where incorrect identification lead to an inappropriate management approach and some instances of errors in published lists. Invasive species lists need to be carefully reviewed to minimise errors, and herbarium specimens supported by DNA identification are required where identification using morphological features is particularly challenging.
Biological invasions are occurring frequently and with great impact to agricultural production and other ecosystem services. In response to this, the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (AWRA) was created to assess the potential 'weediness' of plants based on answers to questions related to biogeography, undesirable attributes, and biology or ecology. This basic model has been expanded and adapted for use on other taxa, often without adequate validation. Since invasive insect crop pests are a major economic cost to agricultural production, there is interest in using an expanded model for insects. Here, we review traits related to invasiveness of insects based on a systematic review of the literature. We then compare the identified invasive traits of insects with those identified for plants in the AWRA. Using insects as a case study, we illustrate that although there is some overlap in invasive traits, there are many unique traits related to invasion for both insects and plants. For insects, these traits relate largely to social behaviour. This lack of congruence may also be the case for other taxa. To increase predictive power, a taxon-specific risk assessment tool and deliberate verification are required.
Islands are particularly noteworthy for global conservation because of the high number of species they host, the high levels of species endemism, and the large number and proportion of species at risk of extinction. Much of the conservation threat on islands is from invasive species. Whilst biosecurity is an increasing focus of attention for authorities globally, species are continuing to establish in new locations outside of their native ranges. Among invasive species, ants are a prominent taxon, especially on islands. Over the past decade, following the detection of one of the world’s worst invasive ant species, African big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala, the environmental management authority on world-heritage-listed Lord Howe Island has focused attention on invasive ants. This detection influenced the creation of biosecurity measures to prevent further incursions of exotic species, particularly ants. Despite these efforts, over the following decade numerous ant species were collected on the island for the first time, indicating a serious biosecurity problem. Here, we investigate the chronosequence of ant introductions to Lord Howe Island to quantify the extent and nature of the island’s ant biosecurity problem. A total of 45 species have been collected on the island and of these, 12 are considered to be endemic, and a further seven are possibly native. Nineteen of the 26 introduced species (42% of the total fauna and 73% of the introduced fauna) were only found for the first time in the last 15 years. All but two of the species that are not native to Lord Howe Island are native to the Australian mainland, indicating that the biosecurity threat comes from the transport of goods from the Australian mainland. We suggest that the pattern of accelerating ant species accumulation on Lord Howe Island is probably not an isolated phenomenon, and that it is probably occurring on most islands globally that are habitable by ants and visited by people.