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This article studies whether people want to control what information on their own past pro-social behavior is revealed to others. Participants are assigned a color that depends on their past pro-social behavior. They can spend money to manipulate the probability with which their color is revealed to another participant. The data show that participants are more likely to reveal colors with more favorable informational content. This pattern is not found in a control treatment in which colors are randomly assigned, thus revealing nothing about past pro-social behavior. Regression analysis confrms these fndings, also when controlling for past pro-social behavior. These results complement the existing empirical evidence, confrming that people strategically and, therefore, consciously manipulate their social image.
1. Recent research highlights the ecological importance of individual variation in behavioural predictability. Individuals may not only differ in their average expression of a behavioural trait (their behavioural type) and in their ability to adjust behaviour to changing environmental conditions (individual plasticity), but also in their variability around their average behaviour (predictability). However, quantifying behavioural predictability in the wild has been challenging due to limitations of acquiring sufficient repeated behavioural measures.
2. We here demonstrate how common biologging data can be used to detect individual variation in behavioural predictability in the wild and reveal the coexistence of highly predictable individuals along with unpredictable individuals within the same population.
3. We repeatedly quantified two behaviours—daily movement distance and diurnal activity—in 62 female brown bears Ursus arctos tracked across 187 monitoring years. We calculated behavioural predictability over the short term (50 consecutive monitoring days within 1 year) and long term (across monitoring years) as the residual intra-individual variability (rIIV) of behaviour around the behavioural reaction norm. We tested whether predictability varies systematically across average behavioural types and whether it is correlated across functionally distinct behaviours, that is, daily movement distance and amount of diurnal activity.
4. Brown bears showed individual variation in behavioural predictability from predictable to unpredictable individuals. For example, the standard deviation around the average daily movement distance within one monitoring year varied up to fivefold from 1.1 to 5.5 km across individuals. Individual predictability for both daily movement distance and diurnality was conserved across monitoring years. Individual predictability was correlated with behavioural type where individuals which were on average more diurnal and mobile were also more unpredictable in their behaviour. In contrast, more nocturnal individuals moved less and were more predictable in their behaviour. Finally, individual predictability in daily movement distance and diurnality was positively correlated, suggesting that individual predictability may be a quantitative trait in its own regard that could evolve and is underpinned by genetic variation.
5. Unpredictable individuals may cope better with stochastic events and unpredictability may hence be an adaptive behavioural response to increased predation risk.
NATURAL LANGUAGE (NL) IS A PROMISING ALTERNATIVE INTERFACE TO DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (DBMSs) BECAUSE IT ENABLES NON-TECHNICAL USERS TO FORMULATE COMPLEX QUESTIONS. RECENTLY, DEEP LEARNING HAS GAINED TRACTION FOR TRANSLATING NATURAL LANGUAGE TO SQL. HOWEVER, THE CORE PROBLEM WITH EXISTING DEEP LEARNING APPROACHES IS THAT THEY REQUIRE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MANUALLY CURATED TRAINING DATA IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ACCURATE TRANSLATIONS. WE PRESENT DBPAL THAT USES A NOVEL TRAINING PIPELINE TO LEARN NL2SQL INTERFACES WHICH SYNTHESIZES TRAINING DATA AND, THUS, DOES NOT RELY ON MANUALLY CURATED TRAINING DATA.
Economic value of data
(2020)
FIRMS COLLECT A LARGE AMOUNT OF DATA BY ENGAGING HEAVILY IN THE COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF ONLINE USER ACTIVITY VIA VARIOUS USER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES. RECENT POLICY INITIATIVES AIM AT RESTRICTING THIS PRACTICE TO PROTECT CONSUMER PRIVACY. WE STUDY EMPIRICALLY THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH RESTRICTIONS FOR ONLINE PUBLISHERS, SUCH AS NEWS WEBSITES, BECAUSE THEY STRONGLY RELY ON REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED BASED ON USER DATA. WE FIND A PRICE DECREASE OF CA. 30% FOR ONLINE ADS WHEN NO DATA FROM USER TRACKING IS AVAILABLE. THE POTENTIAL REVENUE LOSS COULD BE MORE THAN EUR 14 BILLION IN THE EU AND MORE THAN USD 27 BILLION IN THE US.
ALGORITHMIC DECISION MAKING PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FINANCIAL MARKETS. ONE SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR SUCH ALGORITHMS IS THE SENTIMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES AND NEWS ARTICLES CONCERNING A LISTED COMPANY. YET, CURRENT TOOLS DO NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN POPULAR AND LESS POPULAR NEWS AND IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER METHODOLOGIES BASED ON DATA ANALYTICS CAN BE APPLIED ON SMALL DATASETS OF LESS POPULAR COMPANIES. THEREFORE, WE ANALYZE WHETHER THE IMPACT OF MEDIA SENTIMENT ON FINANCIAL MARKETS IS INFLUENCED BY TWO LEVELS OF INVESTOR ATTENTION AND WHETHER THIS IMPACTS ALGORITHMIC DECISION MAKING.
THE PROLIFERATION OF THE INTERNET HAS ENABLED PLATFORM INTERMEDIARIES TO CREATE TWO-SIDED MARKETS IN MANY INDUSTRIES. IN SUCH MARKETS, NETWORK EFFECTS OFTEN OCCUR WHICH CAN DIFFER FOR NEW AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS. THE AUTHORS DEVELOP AN INFLUX-OUTFLOW MODEL TO INVESTIGATE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE ESTIMATION OF SAME-SIDE AND CROSS-SIDE NETWORK EFFECTS SHOULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ITS IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF NEW CUSTOMERS (I.E., ACQUISITION) AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS (I.E., THEIR ACTIVITY).
Digitalizing Asset Management – The Way Forward / Alexander Lichtenberg
Economic Value of Data / Rene Laub, Klaus Miller, Bernd Skiera
DBPal: A Novel Lightweight NL2SQL Training Pipeline / Benjamin Hättasch, Nadja Geisler, Carsten Binnig
Why Open Innovation in B2B Needs a Push interview with Sven Siering
Closing the Gap between Physical and Electronic Trading / Michael König
Estimating Network Effects in Two-Sided Markets / Oliver Hinz, Thomas Otter, Bernd Skiera
Investor Attention and Algorithmic Decision Making in Financial Markets / Benjamin Clapham, Michael Siering, Peter Gomber
Why Getting Started with Data Science Is Scary, and a Necessity : interview with Kim Nilsson
The efl publishes the insights in the form of a periodic newsletter which appears two times a year. Besides a number of printed copies, the efl insights is distributed digitally via E-mail for reasons of saving natural resources. The main purpose of the newsletter is to provide latest efl research results to our audience. Therefore, the main part is the description of two research results on a managerial level – complemented by an editorial, an interview, and some short news.
During the first two days of August 2016 a seismic crisis occurred on Brava, Cape Verde, which – according to observations based on a local seismic network – was characterized by more than thousand volcano–seismic signals. Brava is considered an active volcanic island, although it has not experienced any historic eruptions. Seismicity significantly exceeded the usual level during the crisis. We report on results based on data from a temporary seismic–array deployment on the neighbouring island of Fogo at a distance of about 35 km. The array was in operation from October 2015 to December 2016 and recorded a total of 1343 earthquakes, 355 thereof were localized. On 1 and 2 August we observed 54 earthquakes, 25 of which could be located beneath Brava. We further evaluate the observations with regards to possible precursors to the crisis and its continuation. Our analysis shows a migration of seismicity around Brava, but no distinct precursory pattern. However, the observations suggest that similar earthquake swarms commonly occur close to Brava. The results further confirm the advantages of seismic arrays as tools for the remote monitoring of regions with limited station coverage or access.
During the first two days of August 2016 a seismic crisis occurred on Brava, Cabo Verde, which – according to observations based on a local seismic network – was characterized by more than a thousand volcano-seismic signals. Brava is considered an active volcanic island, although it has not experienced any historic eruptions. Seismicity significantly exceeded the usual level during the crisis. We report on results based on data from a temporary seismic-array deployment on the neighbouring island of Fogo at a distance of about 35 km. The array was in operation from October 2015 to December 2016 and recorded a total of 1343 earthquakes in the region of Fogo and Brava; 355 thereof were localized. On 1 and 2 August we observed 54 earthquakes, 25 of which could be located beneath Brava. We further evaluate the observations with regards to possible precursors to the crisis and its continuation. Our analysis shows a significant variation in seismicity around Brava, but no distinct precursory pattern. However, the observations suggest that similar earthquake swarms commonly occur close to Brava. The results further confirm the advantages of seismic arrays as tools for the remote monitoring of regions with limited station coverage or access.
Rodrigues Ridge connects the Réunion hotspot track with the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and has been suggested to represent the surface expression of a sub-lithospheric flow channel. From global earthquake catalogues, the seismicity in the region has been associated mainly with events related to the fracture zones at the CIR. However, some segments of the CIR appear void of seismic events. Here, we report on the seismicity recorded at a temporary array of 10 seismic stations operating on Rodrigues Island from September 2014 to June 2016. The array analysis was performed in the time domain by time shifting and stacking the complete waveforms. Event distances were estimated based on a 1-D velocity model and the travel time differences between S and P wave arrivals. We detected and located 63 new events that were not reported by the global networks. Most of the events (51) are located off the CIR and can be classified as intraplate earthquakes. Local magnitudes varied between 1.6 and 3.7. Four seismic clusters were observed that occurred to the west of the spreading segment of the CIR. The Rodrigues Ridge appeared to be aseismic during the period of operation. The lack of seismic activity along both Rodrigues Ridge and the sections of the CIR to the east of Rodrigues may be explained by partially molten upper-mantle material, possibly in relation to the proposed material flow between the Réunion plume and the CIR.
Following the financial crash and the subsequent recession, European policymakers have undertaken major reforms regarding the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Yet, the success rate is mixed. Several reform proposals have either completely failed due to opposition forces or are still pending, sometimes for years. This article provides an overview of reforms in four major policy fields: financial stabilisation, economic governance, fiscal solidarity, and cooperative dissolution. Building on the conceptual foundation of policy analysis, it distinguishes between policy outputs and outcomes. Policy output refers to legislation being adopted or agreement on treaty changes, while policy outcomes depict the result from the implementation process.
Purpose: Does surgical approach (minimally invasive vs. open) and type (radical vs. partial nephrectomy) affects opioid use and workplace absenteeism.
Materials and Methods: Retrospective multivariable regression analysis of 2,646 opioid-naïve patients between 18 and 64 undergoing radical or partial nephrectomy via either a minimally invasive vs. open approach for kidney cancer in the United States between 2012 and 2017 drawn from the IBM Watson Health Database was performed. Outcomes included: (1) opioid use in opioid-naïve patients as measured by opioid prescriptions in the post-operative setting at early, intermediate and prolonged time periods and (2) workplace absenteeism after surgery.
Results: Patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery had a lower odds of opioid use in the early and intermediate post-operative periods (early: odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62–0.97; p=0.02, intermediate: OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.48–0.75; p<0.01), but not in the prolonged setting (prolonged: OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.75–1.34; p=0.98) and had earlier return to work (minimally invasive vs. open: −10.53 days; 95% CI, −17.79 to −3.26; p<0.01). Controlling for approach, patient undergoing partial nephrectomy had lower rates of opioid use across all time periods examined and returned to work earlier than patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (partial vs. radical: −14.41 days; 95% CI, −21.22 to −7.60; p<0.01).
Conclusions: Patients undergoing various forms of surgery for kidney cancer had lower rates of peri-operative opioid use, fewer days of workplace absenteeism, but no difference in long-term rates of opioid use in patients undergoing minimally invasive as compared to open surgery.
Freshwater is one of the most fundamental resources for life and is the habitat for a wide diversity of species. One of the most diverse aquatic insect taxa is Trichoptera Kirby, 1813, caddisflies. These semi-aquatic insects have aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults and are found all around the globe in freshwater habitats. Water is also one of the most important natural resources for the human population, but alarmingly, freshwaters are among the most threatened natural habitats. Thus, the monitoring and preservation of the quality of freshwater habitats should have a high priority. In order to track changes in the biota a baseline reference is necessary, but freshwater biodiversity is under-studied in many parts of the Earth such as the biodiversity hotspots of the Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains. This thesis treats the trichopteran genus Himalopsyche Banks, 1940 (Rhyacophilidae) which has its diversity center in the Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. Himalopsyche larvae are large and conspicuous and only occur in clean, unpolluted streams. This makes Himalopsyche potentially suited as indicator organisms for freshwater quality monitoring, but taxonomic knowledge is yet insufficient. Based on samples from a field survey in the Hengduan Mountains targeting both larvae and adults I uncovered three new Himalopsyche species which are described in this thesis (Chapter II), and with the aid of molecular data I associated larvae of Himalopsyche to adult species (Chapter I). The molecular association enabled the first comparative morphological study of Himalopsyche species in the larval stage, and the morphological study in Chapter II revealed that there are four distinct larval types of Himalopsyche. However, no diagnostic characters to identify Himalopsyche larvae to species level were found. To understand Himalopsyche larval morphology from an evolutionary perspective, I reconstructed the first molecular phylogeny of the genus (Chapter III). This demonstrated that each larval type corresponds to a deep phylogenetic split, indicating that larval types evolved early in Himalopsyche evolution and remained constant since. Based on the phylogenetic results as well as larval and adult morphology, I re-defined five species groups of Himalopsyche: H. kuldschensis Group, H. lepcha Group, H. navasi Group, H. phryganea Group, and H. tibetana Group. The species groups differ with respect to their diversity centers. The monotypic H. lepcha Group resides in the Himalayas, and the monotypic H. phryganea Group inhabits Western Nearctic. The H. kuldschensis and H. tibetana Groups are geographically overlapping with distributions in the Himalayas, but the distribution of H. kuldschensis Group stretches more to the west to include the Tian Shan, and the H. tibetana Group is more concentrated around the eastern Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. The H. navasi Group has a more eastern distribution than most Himalopsyche including isolated areas such as Japan and Indonesia. The earliest split in Himalopsyche divides the H. navasi Group from remaining Himalopsyche, suggesting a more eastern area of origin of Himalopsyche than its current diversity center, with subsequent radiations in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. In addition to the three chapters, in this thesis I discuss further aspects of Himalopsyche biology including genital evolution, species complexes, and Himalopsyche ecology.
Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus are bacterial genera that live in symbiosis with entomopathogenic nematodes of the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, respectively. These nematodes infect insect larvae through the trachea and then enter the hemocoel. Once inside the hemocoel, the nematodes release the bacteria through their intestine. Thereafter, the bacteria become active and kill the larvae within 48 h. During this process, the immune system of the insect host is compromised by molecules produced and secreted by the bacteria. This illustrates that the bacteria possess not only a large arsenal of biological weaponry such as antibiotics and fungicides but also lipases, proteases, etc. Therefore, they are not only able to kill the insect but also protect the cadaver from other food competitors.
During the past decades, a large number of natural products have been identified from Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus. However, the targets and functions for many of these biological molecules are still unknown. Therefore, the goal of the doctoral thesis is to elucidate the modes of action of these natural products from Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus with the main focus on non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs). The work can be divided into two parts. Initially, it starts with the synthesis of natural compounds and various chemically modified derivatives. Besides that, a number of peptides were synthesized for other projects to either verify their structures or quantify the amount produced by the bacteria. Then, secondary analysis methods are applied and provide additional insight into the modes of action of these compounds.
During the thesis, I carried out peptide synthesis either manually or with an automatic synthesizer system from Biotage. Here, the Fmoc-protecting group strategy was preferred in most cases. Natural products, such as silathride, xenoautoxin, phenylethylamide, tryptamide, rhabdopeptide, 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid, and PAX, were produced during this process. Furthermore, new peptide derivatives derived from synthetic NRPS approaches using the XU concept or SYNZIP were generated as standards.
Most of these natural compounds were experimentally verified by MIC tests (broth microdilution, plate diffusion) to be biologically active. For example, silathride, phenylethylamide, and tryptamide showed quorum quenching effects when tested against Chromobacterium violaceum. Initial results from collaborators (PD Dr. Nadja Hellmann/Mainz) showed that tryptamide and phenylethylamide interact with membrane or membrane proteins.
(R)-3-hydroxyoctanoic acid was synthesized to verify the molecule structure of phototemtide A, a cyclic lipopeptide with antiprotozoal activity. The rhabdopeptides are another class, which showed remarkable antiprotozoal effects. However, their mode of action was unknown. These compounds are relatively short peptide sequences, which contain hydrophobic residues, such as valine, leucine, or phenylalanine. Moreover, they possess N methylation, resulting in a rod-shaped highly hydrophobic structure. In this work, I synthesized eight new derivatives of rhabdopeptides for photo-affinity labeling (PAL). These molecules should react covalently under UV-light irradiation with the biological target of the peptides. In addition, these derivatives can be enriched in a pull-down assay using click chemistry. Afterward, analytic methods such as mass detection (proteome analysis) can be applied to elucidate the protein targets.
The PAX peptides derivatives are well-known to have anti-microbial activities and believed to be secreted into the environment by the producing bacteria. However, I found that the majority of these peptides are located in the cell pellet fraction and not in the supernatant. This has been shown through quantification using HPLC MS. New PAX derivatives were synthesized, which carry a moiety suitable for covalent modification using click-chemistry, therefore being functionalizable with a fluorescence dye. In collaboration with Dr. Christoph Spahn (Prof. Dr. Mike Heilemann group), we used confocal, as well as super-resolution microscopy, in particular, single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to investigate the spatial distribution of clickable PAX molecules and revealed that they localize at the bacterial membrane. Furthermore, bioactivity assays revealed that the promotor exchanged X. doucetiae PAX mutants, which do not produce PAX molecules without chemical induction (hereby termed as pax-), were more susceptible to several insect AMPs tested. Based on these findings, a new dual mechanism of action for PAX was proposed. Besides the previously shown antimicrobial activity, these molecules with a positive net charge of +5 (pH = 7) would bind to the negatively charged bacterial surface. Hereby, the surface charge (typically negative) would be inversed resulting in a protective effect for Xenorhabdus against other positively charged AMPs. Furthermore, PAX was investigated as AMP against E. coli to study its antimicrobial mechanism of action. Here, the results show that PAX can disrupt the E. coli membrane at higher concentrations (> 30 µg/ml), enter the cytosol, and lead to reorganization of subcellular structures, such as the nucleoid during this process.
Another aspect of secondary analysis is the application of proteomic analysis. Therefore, I induced X. nematophila, X. szentirmaii, and P. luminescens with insect lysate. These samples were analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS (Q Exactive) together with a database approach (Maxquant/Andromeda). The results showed that in all strains the lipid degradation and the glyoxylate pathway were induced. This is in line with the given insect lysate diet, which mostly contained lipids. Moreover, several interesting unknown peptides and proteins were also upregulated and might get into the focus of future research.
H/ACA-RNPs are involved in RNA guided pseudouridylation of rRNAs and snRNAs. In this thesis I reconstituted active and labeled archaeal as well as eukaryotic H/ACA-RNPs and studied the structural dynamics of complex assembly and pseudouridine formation. Single molecule FRET spectroscopy was used as method of analysis to study structure, assembly and dynamics of these important complexes.
The genus Giraffa likely evolved around seven million years ago in Indo-Asia and spread over the Arabian-African land bridge into Eastern Africa. The oldest fossil of the African lineage was found in Kenya and dated to 7-5.4 Mya. Beside modern giraffe, four additional African species have likely existed (G. gracilis, G. pygmaea, G. stillei, and G. jumae). Based on their morphological similarities, G. gracilis is often considered to be the closest relative of the modern giraffe. Nevertheless, the phylogeny within the genus Giraffa is largely unresolved.
Modern giraffe (Giraffa sp.) have been neglected by the scientific community for a long time and still very little is known about their biology. Traditionally, present-day giraffe have been considered a single species (G. camelopardalis) which is divided into six to eleven subspecies, with nine subspecies being the most accepted classification. This classification was based on morphological differences and geographic ranges. However, recent genetic analyses found hidden diversity within Giraffa and proposed four genetically distinct giraffe species (G. camelopardalis, G. reticulata, G. tippelskirchi, G. giraffa) with presumably little gene flow among them.
Gene flow on a population level is the exchange of genetic information among populations facilitated by the migration of individuals between populations. Additionally, it is an important criterion to delineate species, because many species concepts, especially the Biological Species Concept, rely on the concept of reproductive isolation. Yet, new genetic methods are identifying an increasing number of species that show signs of introgressive hybridization or gene flow among them. Therefore, strict reproductive isolation cannot always be applied to delineate species, especially in young, probably still diverging, species such as giraffe.
Therefore, giraffe are ideal study organisms to investigate the level of gene flow in recently diverged species with adjacent or potentially overlapping ranges. Furthermore, their recent classification as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN and their unreliable distribution maps require the genetic evaluation of their population structure, distribution and conservation status.
In Publication 1 (Winter et al. (2018a), Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 7–8, 1–5), I studied the distribution and matrilineal population structure of Angolan giraffe (G. giraffa angolensis) using sequences from the cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp) and the mitochondrial control region for individuals from across their known range and beyond, and additionally including individuals from all known giraffe species and subspecies. The reconstruction of a phylogenetic tree and a mitochondrial haplotype network allowed to identify the most easterly known natural population of Angolan giraffe, a population that was previously assigned to their sister-subspecies South African giraffe (G. giraffa giraffa), indicating the limit of classification by morphology and geography. Furthermore, the analyses show that Namibia’s iconic desert-dwelling giraffe population is genetically distinct, even from the nearest population at Etosha National Park, suggesting very limited, if any, natural exchange of matrilines. Yet, no geographic barriers are known for this region that would prevent genetic exchange. Therefore, the two populations are likely on different evolutionary trajectories. Limited individuals with an Etosha haplotype further suggest that translocation of Etosha giraffe into the desert population had only a minor impact on the local population. Two separate haplogroups within Etosha National Park suggest an “out of Etosha” radiation of Angolan giraffe to the East followed by a later back-migration.
In Publication 2 (Winter et al. (2018b), Ecology and Evolution, 8(20), 10156–10165), I investigated the genetic population structure of giraffe across their range (n = 137) with focus on the amount of gene flow among the proposed giraffe species with a 3-fold increased set of nuclear introns (n = 21). Limited gene flow of less than one effective migrant per generation, even between the closely related northern (G. camelopardalis) and reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata) further supports the existence of four giraffe species by a different methodology, gene flow. This is significant because most species concepts build on reproductive isolation. Furthermore, this result is corroborated by four distinct major clades in a phylogenetic tree analysis, and distinct clusters in Principal Component Analysis and STRUCTURE analysis. All these analyses suggest a low level of genetic exchange among the four giraffe species and, therefore, a high degree of reproductive isolation in accordance with the Biological Species Concept (BSC). In Addition, only a single individual in 137 was identified as being potential of natural hybrid origin, which promotes the four-species concept further. ...
To support future research based on natural sciences collection data, DiSSCo (Distributed System of Scientific Collections) – the European Research Infrastructure for Natural Science Collections – adopts Digital Object Architecture as the basis for its planned data infrastructure. Using the outputs of one Research Data Alliance (RDA) interest group (IG) and five working groups (WGs) we show how RDA recommendations and supporting documents have been applied to the various stages of the DiSSCo data lifecycle.
Am Beispiel des politisch-planerischen Diskurses zu ehemaligen Planungen für ein großflächiges Einkaufszentrum in der Mainzer Innenstadt wird der potenzielle Mehrwert diskurs- und gouvernementalitätstheoretischer Zugänge zu raumbezogenen Fragestellungen erörtert. Insbesondere werden die diskursiven Mechanismen der Einschreibung einer unternehmerischen und depolitisierten Konzeption urbaner Räume in scheinbar neutrale und objektive Techniken raumbezogener Wirkungsanalysen herausgearbeitet. Die damit verbundene Sichtweise auf städtische Räume als Wettbewerbseinheiten, die durch raumwirtschaftliche Gesetzmäßigkeiten determiniert sind, wird jedoch gleichzeitig durch Gegendiskurse aufgebrochen, die das Bewahren ortsspezifisch gewachsener baulicher Strukturen zum Maßstab von Stadtentwicklungspolitik machen. Die Fallstudie verdeutlicht damit, wie mithilfe diskursanalytischer Zugänge die raumbezogenen Wissensordnungen freigelegt werden können, die die politischplanerische Steuerung gegenwärtiger Stadtentwicklungsprozesse anleiten.
The article critically engages Menachem Fisch’s account of normative frameworks, in particular of (rational) transitions between them. I argue, first, that exposure to the normative criticism leveled at us by other human beings is indeed “capable of destabilizing normative commitment” to one’s own underlying framework beliefs and standards, as Fisch holds; however, closer scrutiny reveals that such exposure is neither sufficient nor necessary but rather accidental in this respect. Second, I will try to show that Søren Kierkegaard’s account of how people fundamentally change their mind provides resources for both a substantial critique of Fisch and a more adequate understanding of the transitions in question. The article argues, third, that Fisch’s framework model – though meaningful, in fact heuristically indispensable in and as of itself – has robust transcendental implications which as such are being ignored, if not directly denied by Fisch and, precisely by being ignored or denied, unnecessarily weaken the overall plausibility of his account. Finally, and ex post, I will address an important objection raised by some commentators.
Learning to solve graph tasks is one of the key prerequisites of acquiring domain-specific knowledge in most study domains. Analyses of graph understanding often use eye-tracking and focus on analyzing how much time students spend gazing at particular areas of a graph—Areas of Interest (AOIs). To gain a deeper insight into students’ task-solving process, we argue that the gaze shifts between students’ fixations on different AOIs (so-termed transitions) also need to be included in holistic analyses of graph understanding that consider the importance of transitions for the task-solving process. Thus, we introduced Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) as a novel approach to analyze eye-tracking data of 23 university students who solved eight multiple-choice graph tasks in physics and economics. ENA is a method for quantifying, visualizing, and interpreting network data allowing a weighted analysis of the gaze patterns of both correct and incorrect graph task solvers considering the interrelations between fixations and transitions. After an analysis of the differences in the number of fixations and the number of single transitions between correct and incorrect solvers, we conducted an ENA for each task. We demonstrate that an isolated analysis of fixations and transitions provides only a limited insight into graph solving behavior. In contrast, ENA identifies differences between the gaze patterns of students who solved the graph tasks correctly and incorrectly across the multiple graph tasks. For instance, incorrect solvers shifted their gaze from the graph to the x-axis and from the question to the graph comparatively more often than correct solvers. The results indicate that incorrect solvers often have problems transferring textual information into graphical information and rely more on partly irrelevant parts of a graph. Finally, we discuss how the findings can be used to design experimental studies and for innovative instructional procedures in higher education
Cisplatin, which induces DNA damage, is standard chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer (BCa). However, efficacy is limited due to resistance development. Since artesunate (ART), a derivative of artemisinin originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been shown to exhibit anti-tumor activity, and to inhibit DNA damage repair, the impact of artesunate on cisplatin-resistant BCa was evaluated. Cisplatin-sensitive (parental) and cisplatin-resistant BCa cells, RT4, RT112, T24, and TCCSup, were treated with ART (1–100 µM). Cell growth, proliferation, and cell cycle phases were investigated, as were apoptosis, necrosis, ferroptosis, autophagy, metabolic activity, and protein expression. Exposure to ART induced a time- and dose-dependent significant inhibition of tumor cell growth and proliferation of parental and cisplatin-resistant BCa cells. This inhibition was accompanied by a G0/G1 phase arrest and modulation of cell cycle regulating proteins. ART induced apoptos is by enhancing DNA damage, especially in the resistant cells. ART did not induce ferroptosis, but led to a disturbance of mitochondrial respiration and ATP generation. This impairment correlated with autophagy accompanied by a decrease in LC3B-I and an increase in LC3B-II. Since ART significantly inhibits proliferative and metabolic aspects of cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant BCa cells, it may hold potential in treating advanced and therapy-resistant BCa.
Background: The spontaneously diabetic “non-obese diabetic” (NOD) mouse is a faithful model of human type-1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: Given the pivotal role of α4 integrin (CD49d) in other autoimmune diseases, we generated NOD mice with α4-deficient hematopoiesis (NOD.α4-/-) to study the role of α4 integrin in T1D. Results: NOD.α4-/- mice developed islet-specific T-cells and antibodies, albeit quantitatively less than α4+ counterparts. Nevertheless, NOD.α4-/- mice were completely and life-long protected from diabetes and insulitis. Moreover, transplantation with isogeneic α4-/- bone marrow prevented progression to T1D of pre-diabetic NOD.α4+ mice despite significant pre-existing islet cell injury. Transfer of α4+/CD3+, but not α4+/CD4+ splenocytes from diabetic to NOD.α4-/- mice induced diabetes with short latency. Despite an only modest contribution of adoptively transferred α4+/CD3+ cells to peripheral blood, pancreas-infiltrating T-cells were exclusively graft derived, i.e., α4+. Microbiota of diabetes-resistant NOD.α4-/- and pre-diabetic NOD.α4+ mice were identical. Co- housed diabetic NOD.α4+ mice showed the characteristic diabetic dysbiosis, implying causality of diabetes for dysbiosis. Incidentally, NOD.α4-/- mice were protected from autoimmune sialitis. Conclusion: α4 is a potential target for primary or secondary prevention of T1D.
This article has two aims: it discusses the use and function of a very specific contract clause in Hellenistic time and explores the possibilities and limits to use databases and their automated searches and visualisations as heuristic tools. It is argued, that praxis … kata to diagramma is mainly a regional variety of an executionclause and not connected to the Greek type lawcourts as supposed by Mitteis and Wolff. Graph-databases can help to see different possible decisive features at the same time and show, which connections are more intensive than others, but automated analysis is slowed down and blurred by the lack of categorizing specific to the questions of legal history
Unpredictable disease trajectories make early clarification of end-of-life (EoL) care preferences in older patients with multimorbidity advisable. This mixed methods systematic review synthesizes studies and assesses such preferences. Two independent reviewers screened title/abstracts/full texts in seven databases, extracted data and used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to assess risk of bias (RoB). We synthesized findings from 22 studies (3243 patients) narratively and, where possible, quantitatively. Nineteen studies assessed willingness to receive life-sustaining treatments (LSTs), six, the preferred place of care, and eight, preferences regarding shared decision-making processes. When unspecified, 21% of patients in four studies preferred any LST option. In three studies, fewer patients chose LST when faced with death and deteriorating health, and more when treatment promised life extension. In 13 studies, 67% and 48% of patients respectively were willing to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical ventilation, but willingness decreased with deteriorating health. Further, 52% of patients from three studies wished to die at home. Seven studies showed that unless incapacitated, most patients prefer to decide on their EoL care themselves. High non-response rates meant RoB was high in most studies. Knowledge of EoL care preferences of older patients with multimorbidity increases the chance such care will be provided.
Background: Surgical complications are associated with a significant burden to patients and hospitals and are increasingly discussed in recent literature. This cohort study reviewed surgery-related complications in a Level I trauma center. The effect of a complication avoidance care bundle on the rate of surgical complications was analyzed. Methods: All complications (surgical and nonsurgical) that occur in our trauma department are prospectively captured using a standardized documentation form and are discussed and analyzed in a weekly trauma Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference. Surgical complication rates are calculated using the annual surgical procedure numbers. Based on discussions in the M&M conference, a complication avoidance care bundle consisting of five measures was established: (1) Improving team situational awareness; (2) reducing operating room traffic by staff members and limiting door-opening events; (3) preoperative screening for infectious foci; (4) adapted preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in anatomic regions with a high risk of infectious complications; and (5) use of iodine-impregnated adhesive drape. Results: The number of surgical procedures steadily increased over the study years, from 3587 in 2015 to 3962 in 2019 (an increase of 10.5%). Within this 5-year study period, the overall rate of surgical complications was 0.8%. Surgical site infections were the most frequently found complications (n = 40, 24.8% of all surgical complications), followed by screw malposition (n = 20, 12.4%), postoperative dislocations of arthroplasties (n = 18, 11.2%), and suboptimal fracture reduction (n = 18, 11.2%). Following implementation of the complication avoidance care bundle, the overall rate of surgical complications significantly decreased, from 1.14% in the year 2016 to 0.56% in the study year 2019, which represents a reduction of 51% within a 3-year time period. Conclusions: A multimodal strategy targeted at reducing the surgical complication rate can be successfully established based on a transparent discussion of adverse surgical outcomes. The combination of the different preventive measures was associated with reducing the overall complication rate by half within a 3-year time period.
The main goal of the present study was the identification of cellular phenotypes in attention-deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patient-derived cellular models from carriers of rare copy number variants (CNVs) in the PARK2 locus that have been previously associated with ADHD. Human-derived fibroblasts (HDF) were cultured and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) were reprogrammed and differentiated into dopaminergic neuronal cells (mDANs). A series of assays in baseline condition and in different stress paradigms (nutrient deprivation, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine (CCCP)) focusing on mitochondrial function and energy metabolism (ATP production, basal oxygen consumption rates, reactive oxygen species (ROS) abundance) were performed and changes in mitochondrial network morphology evaluated. We found changes in PARK2 CNV deletion and duplication carriers with ADHD in PARK2 gene and protein expression, ATP production and basal oxygen consumption rates compared to healthy and ADHD wildtype control cell lines, partly differing between HDF and mDANs and to some extent enhanced in stress paradigms. The generation of ROS was not influenced by the genotype. Our preliminary work suggests an energy impairment in HDF and mDAN cells of PARK2 CNV deletion and duplication carriers with ADHD. The energy impairment could be associated with the role of PARK2 dysregulation in mitochondrial dynamics.
In the absence of an active prophylactic vaccine against HIV-1, passively administered, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) identified in some chronically infected persons were shown to prevent HIV-1 infection in animal models. However, passive administration of bnAbs may not be suited to prevent sexual HIV-1 transmission in high-risk cohorts, as a continuous high level of active bnAbs may be difficult to achieve at the primary site of sexual transmission, the human vagina with its acidic pH. Therefore, we used Lactobacillus, a natural commensal in the healthy vaginal microbiome, to express bn nanobodies (VHH) against HIV-1 that we reported previously. After demonstrating that recombinant VHHA6 expressed in E. coli was able to protect humanized mice from mucosal infection by HIV-1Bal, we expressed VHHA6 in a soluble or in a cell-wall-anchored form in Lactobacillus rhamnosus DSM14870. This strain is already clinically applied for treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Both forms of VHHA6 neutralized a set of primary epidemiologically relevant HIV-1 strains in vitro. Furthermore, VHHA6 was still active at an acidic pH. Thus, lactobacilli expressing bn VHH potentially represent an attractive vector for the passive immunization of women in cohorts at high risk of HIV-1 transmission.
The transcription factor NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an established master regulator of the anti-oxidative and detoxifying cellular response. Thus, a role in inflammatory diseases associated with the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) seems obvious. In line with this, data obtained in cell culture experiments and preclinical settings have shown that Nrf2 is important in regulating target genes that are necessary to ensure cellular redox balance. Additionally, Nrf2 is involved in the induction of phase II drug metabolizing enzymes, which are important both in degrading and converting drugs into active forms, and into putative carcinogens. Therefore, Nrf2 has also been implicated in tumorigenesis. This must be kept in mind when new therapy approaches are planned for the treatment of sepsis. Therefore, this review highlights the function of Nrf2 in sepsis with a special focus on the translation of rodent-based results into sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).
People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience a gradual loss of functional abilities that affects all facets of their daily life. There is a lack of longitudinal studies on coping styles in relation to the disease progression among people with PD. The aim of this study was to explore how coping styles in PD evolve over a 3-year period. Data from the longitudinal project “Home and Health in People Ageing with PD” was utilized (N = 158), including baseline and 3-year follow-up assessments. Coping was captured by ratings of 13 different coping styles. A factor analysis was conducted to analyse patterns of coping styles. Stability and change were analysed for each of the 13 styles with respect to the course of the disease. The factor analysis revealed four coping patterns: pessimistic, optimistic, persistent and support-seeking. The stability of each coping style over time ranged from 75.3% to 90.5%. Those who experienced a worsening of the disease were most inclined to change their coping style (p = 0.006). The results suggest that even when facing severe challenges due to PD in daily life, coping styles remain relatively stable over time. However, a worsening in PD severity appeared to trigger a certain re-evaluation of coping styles.
Echovirus-30 (E-30) is a non-polio enterovirus responsible for meningitis outbreaks in children worldwide. To gain access to the central nervous system (CNS), E-30 first has to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). E-30 may use lipid rafts of the host cells to interact with and to invade the BCSFB. To study enteroviral infection of the BCSFB, an established in vitro model based on human immortalized brain choroid plexus papilloma (HIBCPP) cells has been used. Here, we investigated the impact of E-30 infection on the protein content of the lipid rafts at the BCSFB in vitro. Mass spectrometry analysis following E-30 infection versus uninfected conditions revealed differential abundancy in proteins implicated in cellular adhesion, cytoskeleton remodeling, and endocytosis/vesicle budding. Further, we evaluated the blocking of endocytosis via clathrin/dynamin blocking and its consequences for E-30 induced barrier disruption. Interestingly, blocking of endocytosis had no impact on the capacity of E-30 to induce loss of barrier properties in HIBCPP cells. Altogether, these data highlight the impact of E-30 on HIBCPP cells microdomain as an important factor for host cell alteration.
Simple Summary
Endometrial cancer is the most frequent gynecologic tumor in developed countries. Obesity is an established risk factor for this disease. This work provides an overview of pathophysiological interactions and pathways in obese women initiating tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the clinical impact of adiposity on the treatment of endometrial cancer is discussed as well therapeutic and preventive options.
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most frequently observed malignant gynecologic disease in developed countries. There is a strong association between the established risk factor obesity and the incidence of EC. Furthermore, the rate of women with a body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2 is increasing worldwide, correspondingly leading to a higher prevalence of EC. Understanding the adipose tissue as an endocrine organ, elementary pathophysiological pathways of tumorigenesis have been revealed. This includes the fundamental role of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and hyperestrogenemia, as well as interactions with a chronic proinflammatory microenvironment. Therapeutic options potentially include metformin or bariatric surgery. Moreover, changes in individual lifestyle such as weight reduction, physical activity, and an awareness of healthy nutrition are effective in preventing the disease.
The production of haploid gametes through meiosis is central to the principle of sexual reproduction. The genetic diversity is further enhanced by exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes by the crossover mechanism. This mechanism not only requires correct pairing of homologous chromosomes but also efficient repair of the induced DNA double-strand breaks. Oocytes have evolved a unique quality control system that eliminates cells if chromosomes do not correctly align or if DNA repair is not possible. Central to this monitoring system that is conserved from nematodes and fruit fly to humans is the p53 protein family, and in vertebrates in particular p63. In mammals, oocytes are stored for a long time in the prophase of meiosis I which, in humans, can last more than 50 years. During the entire time of this arrest phase, the DNA damage checkpoint remains active. The treatment of female cancer patients with DNA damaging irradiation or chemotherapeutics activates this checkpoint and results in elimination of the oocyte pool causing premature menopause and infertility. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of this quality control system and discuss potential therapeutic intervention for the preservation of the oocyte pool during chemotherapy.
This reading of Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park suggests that the semantic framework of the novels is provided by the contrast between two meanings of the word consequence, the archaic meaning of social or emotional importance and the common and garden meaning of effect of a cause. It also suggests that the narrative structure of the novels is that of a game of consequences, a game that was played at the time of Jane Austen.
The aim of this paper is to examine how Adorno's aesthetic and musicological thinking was received in Czech and Slovak musicology in the decades between the 60s and the 80s. The focus is on the Czech and Slovak translation of some of Adorno’s musicological treatises and lectures – especially those concerning his views on the Second Vienna School and the musical poetics of its immediate successors – which were published in former Czechoslovakia. The study offers an interesting perspective on Adorno’s relatively unknown lecture Form der neuen Musik (1965) and its related, although not identical, Czech version Formové princípy súčasnej hudby [Formal Principles of Contemporary Music] (1966) as well as on his discussion with some Slovak composers and musicologists published as Dnes je možné iba radikálne kritické myslenie [Today, Only Radical Critical Thinking is Possible] (1967). The study also considers other scientific texts by Adorno in relation to the above-mentioned translations of his works. The analysis, reflection, and interpretation of Adorno’s works in former Czechoslovakia, as well as their contemporary reception, turn out to be sporadic in the examined period. The purpose of this research is to revive awareness of their significance and to give a new impulse to their reassessment within the current musicological and philosophical reflection.
Day-to-day art criticism and art theory are qualitatively distinct. Whereas the best art criticism entails a closeness to its objects which is attuned to particularity, art theory inherently makes generalized claims, whether these claims are extrapolated from the process of art criticism or not. However, this article argues that these dynamics are effectively reversed if we consider the disparity between the criticism of so-called political art and attempts over the last century to elaborate theory which accounts for the political in art qua art. Art theory has located the political force of art precisely in the way that its particularity opposes or resists the status quo. Art criticism, on the other hand, tends to treat artwork as a text to be interpreted whose particularity may as well dissolve when translated into discourse. Drawing from the work of Theodor W. Adorno, this article argues that political art theory calls for art criticism more attuned to experience if it is to elucidate art’s critical valence.
Background: Despite a large body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress for children and adolescents, the adoption of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) in routine care is low.
Objective: This implementation study aims to evaluate the dissemination of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) for children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after child abuse and neglect (CAN) with a focus on supervision.
Method: In a cluster-randomized controlled trial, the study will evaluate the implementation of TF-CBT focussing on the training of therapists including the provision of supervision. The effectiveness of specialized trauma-focused supervision will be compared to supervision as usual with respect to the successful implementation of TF-CBT for youths with PTSS administered by psychotherapists with different levels of professional experience. The primary outcome is whether the patient receives a treatment with sufficient adherence to the TF-CBT manual. The unit of randomization will be the therapists. The main outcome will be analysed using multilevel logistic regressions. Secondary outcomes will concern further patient-related (reduction of PTSS and depressive symptoms) and therapist-related (professional quality of life) variables. Additional exploratory analyses are planned.
Discussion: Since the trial is designed as an implementation study, it permits naturalistic referrals to the participating therapists by patients, caregivers, child and youth welfare agencies and paediatricians. The strict primary outcome will help evaluating the role of model-based supervision in the implementation process. The explorative outcomes will evaluate whether implementation success translates into better patient outcomes. We expect that the dissemination measures will lead to a successful implementation of TF-CBT and promote sustainable structures in routine care that will remain in place after study completion and offer access to ESTs for future children and youths with a history of CAN.
Eleştirel Kuram, 20. yüzyılın başlarında, daha sonra Frankfurt Okulu olarak bilinecek olan “Frankfurt Toplumsal Araştırmalar Enstitüsü” adı altında, bir grup akademisyen tarafından oluşturulmuş bir düşünce akımıdır. Bu düşünsel yaklaşımda, farklı dönemlerde farklı görüşler benimsenmiş olmakla birlikte, özünde pozitivizm ve araçsal akıl başta olmak üzere, modern kapitalist toplumsal düzen eleştirilmektedir. Aydınlanmanın, modernizmin ve modern aklın, kapitalizmin hizmetine girdiğinden yakınılmakta, bireylerin yaşamlarının kontrol edildiği ve onların belirli kalıplar içerisinde davranmaya zorlandığı bir sistemin varlığına karşı çıkılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, diğer kuramsal yaklaşımlardan ve ideolojilerden negatif ve eleştirel bir bakış açısına sahip olması nedeniyle farklılaşan Eleştirel Kuram’, Kamu Yönetimi disiplini ile ilişkilendirerek açıklanmaya çalışılacaktır. Kuramsal tartışmaların, analitik bir biçimde sistematize edilerek kurgulanmasıyla oluşturulacak metodoloji, çalışmanın inşa edilmesinde temel yöntem olarak kullanılacaktır.
The influence of biological maturity status (BMS) on talent identification and development within elite youth soccer is critically debated. During adolescence, maturity-related performance differences within the same age group may cause greater chances of being selected for early maturing players. Therefore, coaches need to consider players' BMS. While standard methods for assessing BMS in adolescents are expensive and time-consuming imaging techniques (i.e., X-ray and MRI), there also exist more pragmatic procedures. This study aimed to evaluate commonly used methods to assess BMS within a highly selected sample of youth soccer players. A total of N = 63 elite male soccer players (U12 and U14) within the German Soccer Association's talent promotion program completed a test battery assessing BMS outcomes. Utilizing MRI diagnostics, players' skeletal age (SAMRI) was determined by radiologists and served as the reference method. Further commonly used methods included skeletal age measured by an ultrasound device (SAUS), the maturity offset (MOMIR), and the percentage of adult height (PAHKR). The relation of these alternative BMS outcomes to SAMRI was examined using different perspectives: performing bivariate correlation analyses (1), modeling BMS as a latent variable (BMSlat) based on the multiple alternative diagnostics (2), and investigating individual differences in agreement (3). (1) Correlations of SAMRI and the further BMS variables ranked from r = 0.80 to r = 0.84 for the total sample and were lower for U12 (0.56 ≤ r ≤ 0.66), and U14 (0.61 ≤ r ≤ 0.74) (2). The latent structural equation modeling (SEM) (R2 = 51%) revealed a significant influence on BMSlat for MOMIR (β = 0.51, p <0.05). The additional contribution of PAHKR (β = 0.27, p = 0.06) and SAUS (β = −0.03, p = 0.90) was rather small (3). The investigation of individual differences between the reference method and alternative diagnostics indicated a significant bias for MOMIR (p <0.01). The results support the use of economical and time-efficient methods for assessing BMS within elite youth soccer. Bivariate correlation analyses as well as the multivariate latent variable approach highlight the measures' usefulness. However, the observed individual level differences for some of the utilized procedures led to the recommendation for practitioners to use at least two alternative assessment methods in order to receive more reliable information about players' BMS within the talent promotion process.
Systemic inflammation is associated with alterations in complex brain functions such as learning and memory. However, diagnostic approaches to functionally assess and quantify inflammation-associated alterations in synaptic plasticity are not well-established. In previous work, we demonstrated that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation alters the ability of hippocampal neurons to express synaptic plasticity, i.e., the long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory neurotransmission. Here, we tested whether synaptic plasticity induced by repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique used in clinical practice, is affected by LPS-induced inflammation. Specifically, we explored brain tissue cultures to learn more about the direct effects of LPS on neural tissue, and we tested for the plasticity-restoring effects of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL10). As shown previously, 10 Hz repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) of organotypic entorhino-hippocampal tissue cultures induced a robust increase in excitatory neurotransmission onto CA1 pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, LPS-treated tissue cultures did not express rMS-induced synaptic plasticity. Live-cell microscopy in tissue cultures prepared from a novel transgenic reporter mouse line [C57BL/6-Tg(TNFa-eGFP)] confirms that ex vivo LPS administration triggers microglial tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) expression, which is ameliorated in the presence of IL10. Consistent with this observation, IL10 hampers the LPS-induced increase in TNFα, IL6, IL1β, and IFNγ and restores the ability of neurons to express rMS-induced synaptic plasticity in the presence of LPS. These findings establish organotypic tissue cultures as a suitable model for studying inflammation-induced alterations in synaptic plasticity, thus providing a biological basis for the diagnostic use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the context of brain inflammation.
Currently one of the biggest challenges for society is to combat global warming. A solution to this global threat is the implementation of a CO2-based bioeconomy and a H2-based bioenergy economy. Anaerobic lithotrophic bacteria such as the acetogenic bacteria are key players in the global carbon and H2 cycle and thus prime candidates as driving forces in a H2- and CO2-bioeconomy. Naturally, they convert two molecules of CO2 via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) to one molecule of acetyl-CoA which can be converted to different C2-products (acetate or ethanol) or elongated to C4 (butyrate) or C5-products (caproate). Since there is no net ATP generation from acetate formation, an electron-transport phosphorylation (ETP) module is hooked up to the WLP. ETP provides the cell with additional ATP, but the ATP gain is very low, only a fraction of an ATP per mol of acetate. Since acetogens live at the thermodynamic edge of life, metabolic engineering to obtain high-value products is currently limited by the low energy status of the cells that allows for the production of only a few compounds with rather low specificity. To set the stage for acetogens as production platforms for a wide range of bioproducts from CO2, the energetic barriers have to be overcome. This review summarizes the pathway, the energetics of the pathway and describes ways to overcome energetic barriers in acetogenic C1 conversion.
Cell fate clusters in ICM organoids arise from cell fate heredity and division: a modelling approach
(2020)
During the mammalian preimplantation phase, cells undergo two subsequent cell fate decisions. During the first decision, the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass are formed. Subsequently, the inner cell mass segregates into the epiblast and the primitive endoderm. Inner cell mass organoids represent an experimental model system, mimicking the second cell fate decision. It has been shown that cells of the same fate tend to cluster stronger than expected for random cell fate decisions. Three major processes are hypothesised to contribute to the cell fate arrangements: (1) chemical signalling; (2) cell sorting; and (3) cell proliferation. In order to quantify the influence of cell proliferation on the observed cell lineage type clustering, we developed an agent-based model accounting for mechanical cell–cell interaction, i.e. adhesion and repulsion, cell division, stochastic cell fate decision and cell fate heredity. The model supports the hypothesis that initial cell fate acquisition is a stochastically driven process, taking place in the early development of inner cell mass organoids. Further, we show that the observed neighbourhood structures can emerge solely due to cell fate heredity during cell division.
Reprogramming of tomato leaf metabolome by the activity of heat stress transcription factor HsfB1
(2020)
Plants respond to high temperatures with global changes of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) are the core regulators of transcriptome responses as they control the reprogramming of expression of hundreds of genes. The thermotolerance-related function of Hsfs is mainly based on the regulation of many heat shock proteins (HSPs). Instead, the Hsf-dependent reprogramming of metabolic pathways and their contribution to thermotolerance are not well described. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), manipulation of HsfB1, either by suppression or overexpression (OE) leads to enhanced thermotolerance and coincides with distinct profile of metabolic routes based on a metabolome profiling of wild-type (WT) and HsfB1 transgenic plants. Leaves of HsfB1 knock-down plants show an accumulation of metabolites with a positive effect on thermotolerance such as the sugars sucrose and glucose and the polyamine putrescine. OE of HsfB1 leads to the accumulation of products of the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways, including several caffeoyl quinic acid isomers. The latter is due to the enhanced transcription of genes coding key enzymes in both pathways, in some cases in both non-stressed and stressed plants. Our results show that beyond the control of the expression of Hsfs and HSPs, HsfB1 has a wider activity range by regulating important metabolic pathways providing an important link between stress response and physiological tomato development.
The Adornian theories are still a relevant theoretical and educational model, even fifty years after his death. The article develops exactly this aspect in many directions and it lingers on one of the masterpieces of the master of Frankfurt, Minima moralia, making use of hermeneutic critical thinking.
In ethnographic research and analysis, reflexivity is vital to achieving constant coordination between field and concept work. However, it has been conceptualized predominantly as an ethnographer’s individual mental capacity. In this article, we draw on ten years of experience in conducting research together with partners from social psychiatry and mental health care across different research projects. We unfold three modes of achieving reflexivity co-laboratively: contrasting and discussing disciplinary concepts in interdisciplinary working groups and feedback workshops; joint data interpretation and writing; and participating in political agenda setting. Engaging these modes reveals reflexivity as a distributed process able to strengthen the ethnographer’s interpretative authority, and also able to constantly push the conceptual boundaries of the participating disciplines and professions.
Andropogon virginicus is an invasive weed that seriously threatens agricultural production and economics worldwide. In this research, dried aerial parts of A. virginicus were extracted, applying Soxhlet and liquid-liquid phase methods to acquire the total crude (T-Anvi), hexane (H-Anvi), ethyl acetate (E-Anvi), butanol (B-Anvi), and water (W-Anvi) extracts, respectively. In which, T-Anvi contains the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (24.80 mg gallic acid and 37.40 mg rutin equivalents per g dry weight, respectively). Via anti-radical (ABTS and DPPH), and reducing power assays, E-Anvi exhibits the most potent activities (IC50 = 13.96, 43.59 and 124.11 µg/mL, respectively), stronger than butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a standard antioxidant, while the lipid peroxidation inhibitory effect of E-Anvi (LPI = 90.85% at the concentration of 500 µg/mL) is close to BHT. E-Anvi shows the most substantial inhibition (IC50 = 2.58 mg/mL) on tyrosinase. Notably, α-amylase is significantly suppressed by H-Anvi (IC50 = 0.72 mg/mL), over twice stronger than the positive control, palmitic acid. In the cytotoxic assay, E-Anvi is the strongest extract inhibiting K562 cells (IC50 = 112.01 µg/mL). Meanwhile, T-Anvi shows the highest prevention on Meg-01 expansion (IC50 = 91.40 µg/mL). Dominant compounds detected in E-Anvi by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) are identified as flavonoids. However, among four major compounds identified in H-Anvi by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), palmitic acid and phytol are the most abundant compounds with peak areas of 27.97% and 16.42%, respectively. In essence, this is the first report describing that A. virginicus is a potential natural source of antioxidants, tyrosinase and α-amylase inhibitors, and anti-chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) agents which may be useful in future therapeutics as promising alternative medicines.
We analyze the relations between ethnographic data and theory through an examination of materiality in research practices, arguing that data production is a form of material theorizing. This entails reviewing and (re-)applying practice-theoretical discussions on materiality to questions of ethnography, and moving from understanding theory primarily as ideas to observing theorizing in all steps of research practice. We introduce “pocketing” as a heuristic concept to analyze how and when ethnographic data materializes: the concept defines data’s materiality relationally, through the affective and temporal dimensions of practice. It is discussed using two examples: in a study on everyday architectural experience where ethnographic data materialized as bodies affected by architecture; and in a study on digital cooperation where research data’s materialization was distributed over time according to the use of a company database. By conceptualizing data’s materiality as practice-bound, “pocketing” facilitates understanding the links between data and theory in ethnographic data production.
Largely unnoticed, all life on earth is constantly exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation. Radon, an imperceptible natural occurring radioactive noble gas, contributes as the largest single fraction to radiation exposure from natural sources. For that reason, radon represents a major issue for radiation protection. Nevertheless, radon is also applied for the therapy of inflammatory and degenerative diseases in galleries and spas to many thousand patients a year. In either case, chronic environmental exposure or therapy, the effect of radon on the organism exposed is still under investigation at all levels of interaction. This includes the physical stage of diffusion and energy deposition by radioactive decay of radon and its progeny and the biological stage of initiating and propagating a physiologic response or inducing cancer after chronic exposure. The purpose of this manuscript is to comprehensively review the current knowledge of radon and its progeny on physical background, associated cancer risk and potential therapeutic effects.
We derive the Bayes estimator of vectors of structural VAR impulse responses under a range of alternative loss functions. We also derive joint credible regions for vectors of impulse responses as the lowest posterior risk region under the same loss functions. We show that conventional impulse response estimators such as the posterior median response function or the posterior mean response function are not in general the Bayes estimator of the impulse response vector obtained by stacking the impulse responses of interest. We show that such pointwise estimators may imply response function shapes that are incompatible with any possible parameterization of the underlying model. Moreover, conventional pointwise quantile error bands are not a valid measure of the estimation uncertainty about the impulse response vector because they ignore the mutual dependence of the responses. In practice, they tend to understate substantially the estimation uncertainty about the impulse response vector.
This paper examines the advantages and drawbacks of alternative methods of estimating oil supply and oil demand elasticities and of incorporating this information into structural VAR models. I not only summarize the state of the literature, but also draw attention to a number of econometric problems that have been overlooked in this literature. Once these problems are recognized, seemingly conflicting conclusions in the recent literature can be resolved. My analysis reaffirms the conclusion that the one-month oil supply elasticity is close to zero, which implies that oil demand shocks are the dominant driver of the real price of oil. The focus of this paper is not only on correcting some misunderstandings in the recent literature, but on the substantive and methodological insights generated by this exchange, which are of broader interest to applied researchers.
Using a novel dataset, we develop a structural model of the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) market between the Arabian Gulf and the Far East. We study how fluctuations in oil tanker rates, oil exports, shipowner profits, and bunker fuel prices are determined by shocks to the supply and demand for oil tankers, to the utilization of tankers, and to the cost of operating tankers, including bunker fuel costs. Our analysis shows that time charter rates are largely unresponsive to tanker cost shocks. In response to higher costs, voyage profits decline, as cost shocks are only partially passed on to round-trip voyage rates. Oil exports from the Arabian Gulf also decline, reflecting lower demand for VLCCs. Positive utilization shocks are associated with higher profits, a slight increase in time charter rates and lower fuel prices and oil export volumes. Tanker supply and tanker demand shocks have persistent effects on time charter rates, round-trip voyage rates, the volume of oil exports, fuel prices, and profits with the expected sign.
We sought to determine the effects of the use of a Bioengineered Combo Dual-Therapy CD34 Antibody-Covered Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent (Combo® DTS) in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) by evaluating clinical outcomes and by performing an optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis. We retrospectively analyzed data from 39 patients who had successfully undergone OCT-guided revascularization of a CTO being treated with a Combo® DTS. Clinical assessment, angiography (with quantitative coronary angiography analysis) and OCT examination were performed at baseline and at follow-up. The median follow-up period was 189 days, ranging from 157 to 615 days. At follow-up, revascularization was required due to angiographic restenosis in 40% (14 of 35) of patients. OCT analysis detected neointima proliferation in 23 (76.6%) patients. Neointima formation was often associated with microvessels in 18 patients (60%). Neoatheroslcerosis was observed in 2 (6.6%) patients. Malapposition was found in 4 patients (13.3%), and stent fractures were found in 11 patients (36.6%). Rate of strut coverage was 96.3% at follow-up. In conclusion, the implantation of a Combo® DTS after successful CTO recanalization was associated with a restenosis rate of 40% despite good stent implantation at baseline, proven by OCT. Neointima formation was found as a main contributor to restenosis. Nevertheless, we observed a low rate of major cardiovascular events in our follow-up.
Introduction: In patients with severe pelvic ring injuries, exsanguination still is the leading cause of death in the early post-injury phase. While mechanical pelvic ring stabilization and pre-peritoneal pelvic packing are mainly addressing venous bleeding, angio-embolization aims to control arterial bleeding. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the rate of postoperative angio-embolization after mechanical pelvic ring injury stabilization and pre-peritoneal pelvic packing. Bleeding sources detected in the angiography and the patient's outcome were investigated. Patients and Methods: Retrospective observational cohort study at a single academic level I trauma center, reviewing all patients with pelvic ring injuries admitted from 01/2010 to 12/2019. Patients with emergent mechanical pelvic ring stabilization (supraacetabular external fixator and/or pelvic C-clamp) and direct pre-peritoneal pelvic packing were further analyzed. Patients that underwent postoperative angio-embolization were compared with those that did not. All postoperative angio-embolizations were evaluated with regards to bleeding sources and type of embolization. Results: During the study period, a total of 39 patients required immediate mechanical pelvic stabilization and direct pre-peritoneal pelvic packing. Of these, 12 patients (30.8%) underwent a postoperative angio-embolization. The following vessels were identified as bleeding sources: superior gluteal artery (n = 6), obturator artery (n = 2), internal pudendal artery (n = 2), unnamed branches of the internal iliac artery (n = 3). A selective embolization was successful in 11 patients; in 1 patient, an unilateral complete occlusion of the internal iliac artery was performed to control the bleeding. Mean time from hospital admission to the surgical procedure was 52.8 ± 14.7 min and the mean time from admission to angio-embolization was 189.1 ± 55.5 min. The in-hospital mortality rate of patients with angio-embolization was 25.0% (n = 3). Of these, 2 patients died due to multiple organ failure and 1 patient due to severe head injury. Conclusion: Secondary angio-embolization after external pelvic fixation and pre-peritoneal pelvic packing was effective in controlling ongoing bleeding. The most frequently detected bleeding vessel was the superior gluteal artery, which is difficult to surgically address, further highlighting the importance of angio-embolization in the management algorithm.
New innovative neuropsychological tests in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD have been proposed as objective measures for diagnosis and therapy. The current study aims to investigate two different commercial continuous performance tests (CPT) in a head-to-head comparison regarding their comparability and their link with clinical parameters. The CPTs were evaluated in a clinical sample of 29 adult patients presenting in an ADHD outpatient clinic. Correlational analyses were performed between neuropsychological data, clinical rating scales, and a personality-based measure. Though inattention was found to positively correlate between the two tests (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), no association with clinical measures and inattention was found for both tests. While hyperactivity did not correlate between both tests, current ADHD symptoms were positively associated with Nesplora Aquarium’s motor activity (r = 0.52 to 0.61, p < 0.05) and the Qb-Test’s hyperactivity (r = 0.52 to 0.71, p < 0.05). Conclusively, the overall comparability of the tests was limited and correlation with clinical parameters was low. While our study shows some interesting correlation between clinical symptoms and sub-scales of these tests, usage in clinical practice is not recommended.
Correction to: The low-copy nuclear gene Agt1 as a novel DNA barcoding marker for Bromeliaceae
(2020)
Correction to: BMC Plant Biol 20, 111 (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-2326-5
In the original publication [1] an incorrect version of Additional file 1 was used during typesetting. The incorrect and correct versions of Additional file 1 are available in this correction article. The original article has been updated. The publisher apologizes to the authors and readers for the inconvenience.
Background: The angiosperm family Bromeliaceae comprises over 3.500 species characterized by exceptionally high morphological and ecological diversity, but a very low genetic variation. In many genera, plants are vegetatively very similar which makes determination of non flowering bromeliads difficult. This is particularly problematic with living collections where plants are often cultivated over decades without flowering. DNA barcoding is therefore a very promising approach to provide reliable and convenient assistance in species determination. However, the observed low genetic variation of canonical barcoding markers in bromeliads causes problems.
Result. In this study the low-copy nuclear gene Agt1 is identified as a novel DNA barcoding marker suitable for molecular identification of closely related bromeliad species. Combining a comparatively slowly evolving exon sequence with an adjacent, genetically highly variable intron, correctly matching MegaBLAST based species identification rate was found to be approximately double the highest rate yet reported for bromeliads using other barcode markers.
Conclusion. In the present work, we characterize Agt1 as a novel plant DNA barcoding marker to be used for barcoding of bromeliads, a plant group with low genetic variation. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive marker sequence dataset for further use in the bromeliad research community.
Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Neurophysiological correlates of ADHD include changes in the P3 component of event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Motivated by recent advances towards a more dimensional understanding of ADHD, we investigate whether ADHD-related ERP markers relate to continuous variations in attention and executive functioning also in typically-developing children. ERPs were measured while 31 school children (9–11 years) completed an adapted version of the Continuous Performance Task that additionally to inhibitory processes also isolates effects of physical stimulus salience. Children with higher levels of parent-reported ADHD symptoms did not differ in task performance, but exhibited smaller P3 amplitudes related to stimulus salience. Furthermore, ADHD symptoms were associated with the variability of neural responses over time: Children with higher levels of ADHD symptoms demonstrated lower variability in inhibition- and salience-related P3 amplitudes. No effects were observed for ERP latencies and the salience-related N2. By demonstrating that ADHD-associated neurophysiological mechanisms of inhibition and salience processing covary with attention and executive functioning in a children community sample, our study provides neurophysiological support for dimensional models of ADHD. Also, temporal variability in event-related potentials is highlighted as additional indicator of ADHD requiring further investigation.
The float serve is an effective weapon to impede the attack of the opposing team. Because of its great importance in indoor and beach volleyball, we measured and quantified the float effect. We recorded 24 float serves of 12 top athletes in beach volleyball and indoor volleyball, respectively, and analyzed them using video analysis. We determined the 3D trajectories of the ball flight and developed two measures to describe the size of the float effect, the mean residuals and the anticipation error. Both were derived from regression models. These measures suggest that the float effect is greater in the vertical plane than in the horizontal plane, both for indoor and beach volleyball. Analyses of ball release velocities suggest that a certain ball release velocity is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for ball floating. A validation of the float measurements with subjective expert ratings showed a correlation with the horizontal deviations. This study provides a new approach to analyze floating in on-court volleyball serves and broadens the knowledge for float effects in sports.
Faltung von SARS-CoV-2-Genom zeigt Angriffspunktefür Medikamente – auch Vorbereitung auf »SARS-CoV-3«
Förderung für 24 Jahre Buber-Forschung
Bioplastik ist nicht unbedenklich
Öffentliche Meinung nach Berliner Terroranschlag
Weltrekord in Kurzzeit-Messung
Neues Zentrum deutscher Afrikaforschung
Wie kosmische Diamanten entstehen
Künstliche Zell-Organellen für die Biotechnologie
Leppin Vorsitzender am Historischen Kolleg
Wie sich direkte Demokratie auf Gleichheit auswirkt
Tsetse-Fliegenfalle mit Biotechnologie
Gerichtliche Deals im Praxistest
Mehr als 7 Prozent der Treibhausgase, die in Deutschland freigesetzt werden, stammen aus der Landwirtschaft: Von wiederkäuenden Rindern etwa, aus stickstoffhaltigen Düngemitteln. Hinzu kommen Emissionen aus trockengelegten Mooren oder aus verrottendem Humus umgepflügter Wiesen. Rund 58 Milliarden Euro fließen jährlich vom EU-Budget in die europäische Landwirtschaft. Dies gibt Bund und Ländern viele Möglichkeiten, etwas für den Klimaschutz zu tun.
Eine lebenswerte, schöne Stadt mit viel Grün und kurzen Wegen – das wünschen sich eigentlich alle. Wie wir dorthin kommen können, daran forscht die Arbeitsgruppe des Mobilitätsforschers Martin Lanzendorf. Im Fokus steht dabei der Mensch: Wie verhält er sich im öffentlichen Raum, was sind seine Beweggründe, Ziele und Wünsche – und wie ließe sich sein Verhalten beeinflussen?
2019 hat Frankfurt einen Rekord geknackt: Am 25. Juli wurde im Stadtteil Westend die Tageshöchsttemperatur von 40,2 Grad Celsius erreicht. Damit war Frankfurt der heißeste Ort Hessens seit Beginn der Wetteraufzeichnungen im Jahr 1881. Ein Superlativ, der zeigt: Der Klimawandel stellt auch die Städte vor große Herausforderungen. Gesucht werden Wege, um mit seinen Folgen zurechtzukommen.
(Un)glaubwürdig grün? : Wie Anleger im boomenden Markt für Grüne Anleihen nach Orientierung suchen
(2020)
Der Klimaschutz ist in der Finanzwelt angekommen. Diesen Eindruck erweckt zumindest das wachsende Angebot an »grünen« Anleihen. Diese Wertpapiere beschaffen Kapital für explizit klimafreundliche Industrien und Projekte. Doch können Anleger sicher sein, dass sie ihr Geld in einen klimafreundlichen CO2-Fußabdruck investieren und nicht doch beim »Greenwashing« eines rasant ressourcenabbauenden Unternehmens Beihilfe leisten? Die Wirtschaftswissenschaftlerin Julia Kapraun hat sich mit der Glaubwürdigkeit Grüner Anleihen befasst.
Aus der Redaktion
(2020)
Schon früh im 19. Jahrhundert wurde der Treibhauseffekt entdeckt. Doch bis sich die Menschheit ihres Einflusses auf das globale Klima bewusst wurde, hat es noch viele Jahrzehnte gedauert. Ein Rückblick auf das zähe Ringen darum, aus wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen die richtigen politischen Schritte abzuleiten.
Der Klimawandel ist nicht die einzige drängende Zukunftsfrage, der sich die Menschheit stellen muss. Ein genauerer Blick in die Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts zeigt, dass etliche namhafte Literaten sich in ihren Werken mit der systemischen Transformation ökologischer Systeme durch den Menschen auseinandergesetzt haben.
Seit jeher haben Konfliktparteien die Kontrolle über die Wasserversorgung genutzt, um ihre Herrschaft zu stabilisieren, Gegner zu schwächen oder territoriale Gewinne zu erzielen. Durch den globalen Klimawandel und die damit verbundene Wasserknappheit wird diese Praxis noch wirksamer und schädlicher. Um das Bewusstsein für dieses lang vernachlässigte Phänomen zu schärfen und die betroffene Bevölkerung zu unterstützen, ist ein interdisziplinärer Forschungsansatz unabdingbar.
Mit spitzer Feder
(2020)
Humor ist, wenn man trotzdem lacht. Im Fall des Klimawandels und angrenzender Themen kann es allerdings durchaus passieren, dass einem dabei der ein oder andere Gluckser schmerzhaft im Halse stecken bleibt. Dem Berliner Zeichner und Karikaturisten Freimut Wössner gelingt es wie kaum einem anderen, die kleinen und großen Unzulänglichkeiten menschlicher Individuen mit der Feder aufzuspießen. Der Themenkreis Klimakrise und Umweltschutz bietet hierfür viel Stoff: Maßlose Konsumgelüste und unreflektierte Bequemlichkeit, dabei aber den Umweltschutz immer wacker auf den Lippen – niemand ist wirklich ganz davor gefeit und bekommt von Wössner einen Spiegel vorgehalten. Vielleicht helfen dem gebürtigen Schwaben dabei seine acht Semester Psychologiestudium, die er in München, Marburg und Saarbrücken absolviert hat. F.W. Bernstein nannte Wössner einst einen »Chronisten unseres postmodernen Biedermeiers«
Wie lassen sich die Chancen und Gefahren menschlicher Wirkmacht erkennen und einschätzen? Wie umgehen mit den Auswirkungen des menschlichen Handelns? Dazu forscht Darrel Moellendorf, der an der Goethe-Universität politische Philosophie lehrt. Ein Gespräch über Klimawandel, Moral, Gerechtigkeit und das Anthropozän.
Mit dem Klimawandel könnte das Grundwasser künftig weltweit in vielen Regionen knapp werden. Das zeigt eine große internationale Studie, die vom Doktoranden Robert Reinecke und der Geographin Prof. Petra Döll initiiert wurde. Vielerorts könnte das zu Wassermangel führen oder einen bestehenden Wassermangel verschärfen. Gleichzeitig werden andere Regionen unter steigenden Grundwasserständen zu leiden haben. Ackerflächen könnten durch Vernässung verloren gehen.
Der Wald der Zukunft ... : ...braucht andere Bäume. Welche, versuchen Forscher herauszufinden
(2020)
Die Luft ist heiß und trocken, der sandige Boden hält kein Wasser: Es gibt nicht viele Wälder in Deutschland, denen es schlechter geht als dem Frankfurter Stadtwald. Für Wolfgang Brüggemann und Vera Holland ist er damit der perfekte Ort, um klimawandelresistente Bäume zu finden. Denn: Wer es hier schafft, der schafft es überall.
Heute sterben zehn- bis hundertmal mehr Arten aus, als dies ohne die massiven Einflüsse des Menschen auf das System »Erde«der Fall wäre. Der Artenforscher Matthias Schleuning untersucht, wie Pflanzen und Tiere in komplexen Ökosystemen voneinander abhängen. Damit kann er voraussagen, wer zu den Gewinnern und den Verlierern von Klimawandel und stärkerer Landnutzung werden wird.
Schon zu früheren Zeiten in der Erdgeschichte gab es Warmzeiten durch starke Treibhauseffekte, mit tropischen Temperaturen in weiten Teilen der Erde, hohem Meeresspiegel und massivem Artensterben. Das belegen Daten aus der Paläoklimatologie. Wenn man heutige Klimamodelle auf solche geologischen Warmzeiten anwendet, kann man sie testen und verbessern. So verhilft die Paläoklimatologie zu einem präziseren Blick in unsere Klimazukunft.
Forschung Frankfurt : das Wissenschaftsmagazin der Goethe-Universität. 2020, Nr. 2 ; Klimakrise
(2020)
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) influence lung tumor development by inducing immunosuppression. Transcriptome analysis of TAMs isolated from human lung tumor tissues revealed an up-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings were reproduced in a newly developed in vitro “trained” TAM model. Pharmacological and macrophage-specific genetic ablation of β-catenin reprogrammed M2-like TAMs to M1-like TAMs both in vitro and in various in vivo models, which was linked with the suppression of primary and metastatic lung tumor growth. An in-depth analysis of the underlying signaling events revealed that β-catenin–mediated transcriptional activation of FOS-like antigen 2 (FOSL2) and repression of the AT-rich interaction domain 5A (ARID5A) drive gene regulatory switch from M1-like TAMs to M2-like TAMs. Moreover, we found that high expressions of β-catenin and FOSL2 correlated with poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. In conclusion, β-catenin drives a transcriptional switch in the lung tumor microenvironment, thereby promoting tumor progression and metastasis.
In biological systems (cell culture media, cells, body fluids), drugs/toxicants are usually not freely dissolved but partially bound to biomolecules; only a fraction of the chemical is free/unbound (fu). To predict pharmacological effects and toxicity, it is important that the fu of the drug is known. As the differences between free and nominal concentrations are determined by test system parameters (e.g., the protein and lipid content, and the type of surface material), comparison of nominal concentrations between two different new approach methods (NAM) may lead to faulty conclusions. The same problem exists when in vitro concentrations are compared to those in human subjects. Therefore, the respective fu of a chemical in a test system needs to be determined for in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolations (IVIVE). Besides direct measurements, prediction models can help to obtain fu. Here we describe a simplified approach to approximate fu and provide background information on the underlying assumptions. Comparative predictions and measurements of fu of various drugs are shown to exemplify the approach. Basic input data, like protein and lipid concentrations, are also provided. Beyond such test systems data, the only required chemical-specific inputs are the lipophilicity of the candidate drug and its ionization state, as determined by the dissociation constants of its acidic or basic groups. This overview is intended to be used by any lab scientist without specific toxicokinetics training to obtain an estimate of fu in a given cell culture medium.
In the nineteenth century, two Neolithic axe-heads were reported from the Michelsberg enclosure system at Kapellenberg. The recent identification of an unusually large tumulus, from which the axe-heads were almost certainly once recovered, reveals that socio-political hierarchisation, linked to the emergence of high-ranking elites in Brittany and the Paris Basin during the fifth millennium cal BC, may have extended into Central Europe.