@article{TsonevaStritzkerBedenketal.2015, author = {Tsoneva, Desislava and Stritzker, Jochen and Bedenk, Kristina and Zhang, Qian and Cappello, Joseph and Fischer, Utz and Szalay, Aladar A.}, title = {Drug-encoded Biomarkers for Monitoring Biological Therapies}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0137573}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125265}, pages = {e0137573}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Blood tests are necessary, easy-to-perform and low-cost alternatives for monitoring of oncolytic virotherapy and other biological therapies in translational research. Here we assessed three candidate proteins with the potential to be used as biomarkers in biological fluids: two glucuronidases from E. coli (GusA) and Staphylococcus sp. RLH1 (GusPlus), and the luciferase from Gaussia princeps (GLuc). The three genes encoding these proteins were inserted individually into vaccinia virus GLV-1h68 genome under the control of an identical promoter. The three resulting recombinant viruses were used to infect tumor cells in cultures and human tumor xenografts in nude mice. In contrast to the actively secreted GLuc, the cytoplasmic glucuronidases GusA and GusPlus were released into the supernatants only as a result of virus-mediated oncolysis. GusPlus resulted in the most sensitive detection of enzyme activity under controlled assay conditions in samples containing as little as 1 pg/ml of GusPlus, followed by GusA (25 pg/ml) and GLuc (≥375 pg/ml). Unexpectedly, even though GusA had a lower specific activity compared to GusPlus, the substrate conversion in the serum of tumor-bearing mice injected with the GusA-encoding virus strains was substantially higher than that of GusPlus. This was attributed to a 3.2 fold and 16.2 fold longer half-life of GusA in the blood stream compared to GusPlus and GLuc respectively, thus a more sensitive monitor of virus replication than the other two enzymes. Due to the good correlation between enzymatic activity of expressed marker gene and virus titer, we conclude that the amount of the biomarker protein in the body fluid semiquantitatively represents the amount of virus in the infected tumors which was confirmed by low light imaging. We found GusA to be the most reliable biomarker for monitoring oncolytic virotherapy among the three tested markers.}, language = {en} } @article{VamanVSPoppeHoubenetal.2015, author = {Vaman V. S., Anjana and Poppe, Heiko and Houben, Roland and Grunewald, Thomas G. P. and Goebeler, Matthias and Butt, Elke}, title = {LASP1, a Newly Identified Melanocytic Protein with a Possible Role in Melanin Release, but Not in Melanoma Progression}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {6}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0129219}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125994}, pages = {e0129219}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) is a focal adhesion protein. Its expression is increased in many malignant tumors. However, little is known about the physiological role of the protein. In the present study, we investigated the expression and function of LASP1 in normal skin, melanocytic nevi and malignant melanoma. In normal skin, a distinct LASP1 expression is visible only in the basal epidermal layer while in nevi LASP1 protein is detected in all melanocytes. Melanoma exhibit no increase in LASP1 mRNA compared to normal skin. In melanocytes, the protein is bound to dynamin and mainly localized at late melanosomes along the edges and at the tips of the cell. Knockdown of LASP1 results in increased melanin concentration in the cells. Collectively, we identified LASP1 as a hitherto unknown protein in melanocytes and as novel partner of dynamin in the physiological process of membrane constriction and melanosome vesicle release.}, language = {en} } @article{WagnerAshbyKurtzetal.2015, author = {Wagner, Martin and Ashby, Damien R. and Kurtz, Caroline and Alam, Ahsan and Busbridge, Mark and Raff, Ulrike and Zimmermann, Josef and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Wanner, Christoph and Schramm, Lothar}, title = {Hepcidin-25 in diabetic chronic kidney disease is predictive for mortality and progression to end stage renal disease}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0123072}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125514}, pages = {e0123072}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Anemia is common and is associated with impaired clinical outcomes in diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). It may be explained by reduced erythropoietin (EPO) synthesis, but recent data suggest that EPO-resistance and diminished iron availability due to inflammation contribute significantly. In this cohort study, we evaluated the impact of hepcidin-25—the key hormone of iron-metabolism—on clinical outcomes in diabetic patients with CKD along with endogenous EPO levels. Methods 249 diabetic patients with CKD of any stage, excluding end-stage renal disease (ESRD), were enrolled (2003-2005), if they were not on EPO-stimulating agent and iron therapy. Hepcidin-25 levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The association of hepcidin-25 at baseline with clinical variables was investigated using linear regression models. All-cause mortality and a composite endpoint of CKD progression (ESRD or doubling of serum creatinine) were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards models. Results Patients (age 67 yrs, 53\% male, GFR 51 ml/min, hemoglobin 131 g/L, EPO 13.5 U/L, hepcidin-25 62.0 ng/ml) were followed for a median time of 4.2 yrs. Forty-nine patients died (19.7\%) and forty (16.1\%) patients reached the composite endpoint. Elevated hepcidin levels were independently associated with higher ferritin-levels, lower EPO-levels and impaired kidney function (all p<0.05). Hepcidin was related to mortality, along with its interaction with EPO, older age, greater proteinuria and elevated CRP (all p<0.05). Hepcidin was also predictive for progression of CKD, aside from baseline GFR, proteinuria, low albumin- and hemoglobin-levels and a history of CVD (all p<0.05). Conclusions We found hepcidin-25 to be associated with EPO and impaired kidney function in diabetic CKD. Elevated hepcidin-25 and EPO-levels were independent predictors of mortality, while hepcidin-25 was also predictive for progression of CKD. Both hepcidin-25 and EPO may represent important prognostic factors of clinical outcome and have the potential to further define "high risk" populations in CKD.}, language = {en} } @article{WalzWegmannDechetal.2015, author = {Walz, Yvonne and Wegmann, Martin and Dech, Stefan and Vounastou, Penelope and Poda, Jean-Noel and N'Goran, Eli{\´e}zer K. and Raso, Giovanna and Utzinger, J{\"u}rg}, title = {Modeling and Validation of Environmental Suitability for Schistosomiasis Transmission Using Remote Sensing}, series = {PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0004217}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125845}, pages = {e0004217}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Schistosomiasis is the most widespread water-based disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmission is governed by the spatial distribution of specific freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts and human water contact patterns. Remote sensing data have been utilized for spatially explicit risk profiling of schistosomiasis. We investigated the potential of remote sensing to characterize habitat conditions of parasite and intermediate host snails and discuss the relevance for public health. Methodology We employed high-resolution remote sensing data, environmental field measurements, and ecological data to model environmental suitability for schistosomiasis-related parasite and snail species. The model was developed for Burkina Faso using a habitat suitability index (HSI). The plausibility of remote sensing habitat variables was validated using field measurements. The established model was transferred to different ecological settings in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire and validated against readily available survey data from school-aged children. Principal Findings Environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission was spatially delineated and quantified by seven habitat variables derived from remote sensing data. The strengths and weaknesses highlighted by the plausibility analysis showed that temporal dynamic water and vegetation measures were particularly useful to model parasite and snail habitat suitability, whereas the measurement of water surface temperature and topographic variables did not perform appropriately. The transferability of the model showed significant relations between the HSI and infection prevalence in study sites of C{\^o}te d'Ivoire. Conclusions/Significance A predictive map of environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission can support measures to gain and sustain control. This is particularly relevant as emphasis is shifting from morbidity control to interrupting transmission. Further validation of our mechanistic model needs to be complemented by field data of parasite- and snail-related fitness. Our model provides a useful tool to monitor the development of new hotspots of potential schistosomiasis transmission based on regularly updated remote sensing data.}, language = {en} } @article{WalzWegmannLeutneretal.2015, author = {Walz, Yvonne and Wegmann, Martin and Leutner, Benjamin and Dech, Stefan and Vounatsou, Penelope and N'Goran, Eli{\´e}zer K. and Raso, Giovanna and Utzinger, J{\"u}rg}, title = {Use of an ecologically relevant modelling approach to improve remote sensing-based schistosomiasis risk profiling}, series = {Geospatial Health}, volume = {10}, journal = {Geospatial Health}, number = {2}, doi = {10.4081/gh.2015.398}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126148}, pages = {398}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Schistosomiasis is a widespread water-based disease that puts close to 800 million people at risk of infection with more than 250 million infected, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmission is governed by the spatial distribution of specific freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts and the frequency, duration and extent of human bodies exposed to infested water sources during human water contact. Remote sensing data have been utilized for spatially explicit risk profiling of schistosomiasis. Since schistosomiasis risk profiling based on remote sensing data inherits a conceptual drawback if school-based disease prevalence data are directly related to the remote sensing measurements extracted at the location of the school, because the disease transmission usually does not exactly occur at the school, we took the local environment around the schools into account by explicitly linking ecologically relevant environmental information of potential disease transmission sites to survey measurements of disease prevalence. Our models were validated at two sites with different landscapes in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire using high- and moderateresolution remote sensing data based on random forest and partial least squares regression. We found that the ecologically relevant modelling approach explained up to 70\% of the variation in Schistosoma infection prevalence and performed better compared to a purely pixelbased modelling approach. Furthermore, our study showed that model performance increased as a function of enlarging the school catchment area, confirming the hypothesis that suitable environments for schistosomiasis transmission rarely occur at the location of survey measurements.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissSchultz2015, author = {Weiß, Clemens Leonard and Schultz, J{\"o}rg}, title = {Identification of divergent WH2 motifs by HMM-HMM alignments}, series = {BMC Research Notes}, volume = {8}, journal = {BMC Research Notes}, number = {18}, doi = {10.1186/s13104-015-0981-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126413}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background The actin cytoskeleton is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. Its regulation as well as its interaction with other proteins is carefully orchestrated by actin interaction domains. One of the key players is the WH2 motif, which enables binding to actin monomers and filaments and is involved in the regulation of actin nucleation. Contrasting conserved domains, the identification of this motif in protein sequences is challenging, as it is short and poorly conserved. Findings To identify divergent members, we combined Hidden-Markov-Model (HMM) to HMM alignments with orthology predictions. Thereby, we identified nearly 500 proteins containing so far not annotated WH2 motifs. This included shootin-1, an actin binding protein involved in neuron polarization. Among others, WH2 motifs of 'proximal to raf' (ptr)-orthologs, which are described in the literature, but not annotated in genome databases, were identified. Conclusion In summary, we increased the number of WH2 motif containing proteins substantially. This identification of candidate regions for actin interaction could steer their experimental characterization. Furthermore, the approach outlined here can easily be adapted to the identification of divergent members of further domain families.}, language = {en} } @article{WestermaierKoehlerLinsenmannetal.2015, author = {Westermaier, Thomas and Koehler, Stefan and Linsenmann, Thomas and Kinderlen, Michael and Pakos, Paul and Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo}, title = {Intraoperative Myelography in Cervical Multilevel Stenosis Using 3D Rotational Fluoroscopy: Assessment of Feasibility and Image Quality}, series = {Radiology Research and Practice}, volume = {2015}, journal = {Radiology Research and Practice}, doi = {10.1155/2015/498936}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125779}, pages = {498936}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background. Intraoperative myelography has been reported for decompression control in multilevel lumbar disease. Cervical myelography is technically more challenging. Modern 3D fluoroscopy may provide a new opportunity supplying multiplanar images. This study was performed to determine the feasibility and image quality of intraoperative cervical myelography using a 3D fluoroscope. Methods. The series included 9 patients with multilevel cervical stenosis. After decompression, 10 mL of water-soluble contrast agent was administered via a lumbar drainage and the operating table was tilted. Thereafter, a 3D fluoroscopy scan (O-Arm) was performed and visually evaluated. Findings. The quality of multiplanar images was sufficient to supply information about the presence of residual stenosis. After instrumentation, metal artifacts lowered image quality. In 3 cases, decompression was continued because myelography depicted residual stenosis. In one case, anterior corpectomy was not completed because myelography showed sufficient decompression after 2-level discectomy. Interpretation. Intraoperative myelography using 3D rotational fluoroscopy is useful for the control of surgical decompression in multilevel spinal stenosis providing images comparable to postmyelographic CT. The long duration of contrast delivery into the cervical spine may be solved by preoperative contrast administration. The method is susceptible to metal artifacts and, therefore, should be applied before metal implants are placed.}, language = {en} } @article{WiegeringSchlegelWinkleretal.2015, author = {Wiegering, V. and Schlegel, P. G. and Winkler, B. and Lazarus, M. and Wirth, C. and Ernestus, K. and Walles, T. and Liese, J.}, title = {Persisting Cough as the Single Presenting Symptom of an Intrathoracic Tumor in a Nine-Month-Old Child with Adenovirus Airway Infection}, series = {Journal of Case Reports and Studies}, volume = {3}, journal = {Journal of Case Reports and Studies}, number = {2}, doi = {10.15744/2348-9820.2.504}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125536}, pages = {204}, year = {2015}, abstract = {We report on a nine-month-old girl who presented with persisting cough, and diminished ventilation of the left hemithorax. Viral pneumonia was suspected after Adenovirus detection by PCR, but chest X-rays showed a persistent shadowing of the left hemithorax and persistent coughing despite clinical improvement. Because of the discrepancy between clinical and radiological signs further investigations by ultrasound and CT scan were performed, which visualized an intrathroracic tumor. Histopathology confirmed diagnosis of a teratoma. This case highlights the need for careful evaluation by the treating physicians. If the chest X-ray provides a discrepancy to the clinical findings or persistent pathologies exist, differential diagnosis should be discussed and further diagnostics be performed.}, language = {en} } @article{WieserMoscovitch2015, author = {Wieser, Matthias J. and Moscovitch, David A.}, title = {The effect of affective context on visuocortical processing of neutral faces in social anxiety - An ERP study}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {6}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01824}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125148}, pages = {1824}, year = {2015}, abstract = {It has been demonstrated that verbal context information alters the neural processing of ambiguous faces such as faces with no apparent facial expression. In social anxiety, neutral faces may be implicitly threatening for socially anxious individuals due to their ambiguous nature, but even more so if these neutral faces are put in self-referential negative contexts. Therefore, we measured event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to neutral faces which were preceded by affective verbal information (negative, neutral, positive). Participants with low social anxiety (LSA; n = 23) and high social anxiety (HSA; n = 21) were asked to watch and rate valence and arousal of the respective faces while continuous EEG was recorded. ERP analysis revealed that HSA showed elevated P100 amplitudes in response to faces, but reduced structural encoding of faces as indexed by reduced N170 amplitudes. In general, affective context led to an enhanced early posterior negativity (EPN) for negative compared to neutral facial expressions. Moreover, HSA compared to LSA showed enhanced late positive potentials (LPP) to negatively contextualized faces, whereas in LSA this effect was found for faces in positive contexts. Also, HSA rated faces in negative contexts as more negative compared to LSA. These results point at enhanced vigilance for neutral faces regardless of context in HSA, while structural encoding seems to be diminished (avoidance). Interestingly, later components of sustained processing (LPP) indicate that LSA show enhanced visuocortical processing for faces in positive contexts (happy bias), whereas this seems to be the case for negatively contextualized faces in HSA (threat bias). Finally, our results add further new evidence that top-down information in interaction with individual anxiety levels can influence early-stage aspects of visual perception.}, language = {en} } @article{WinklerFischerSchadeetal.2015, author = {Winkler, Karol and Fischer, Julian and Schade, Anne and Amthor, Matthias and Dall, Robert and Geßler, Jonas and Emmerling, Monika and Ostrovskaya, Elena A. and Kamp, Martin and Schneider, Christian and H{\"o}fling, Sven}, title = {A polariton condensate in a photonic crystal potential landscape}, series = {New Journal of Physics}, volume = {17}, journal = {New Journal of Physics}, doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023001}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125050}, pages = {023001}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The possibility of investigating macroscopic coherent quantum states in polariton condensates and of engineering polariton landscapes in semiconductors has triggered interest in using polaritonic systems to simulate complex many-body phenomena. However, advanced experiments require superior trapping techniques that allow for the engineering of periodic and arbitrary potentials with strong on-site localization, clean condensate formation, and nearest-neighbor coupling. Here we establish a technology that meets these demands and enables strong, potentially tunable trapping without affecting the favorable polariton characteristics. The traps are based on a locally elongated microcavity which can be formed by standard lithography. We observe polariton condensation with non-resonant pumping in single traps and photonic crystal square lattice arrays. In the latter structures, we observe pronounced energy bands, complete band gaps, and spontaneous condensation at the M-point of the Brillouin zone.}, language = {en} } @article{WohllebenScherzadGuettleretal.2015, author = {Wohlleben, Gisela and Scherzad, Agmal and G{\"u}ttler, Antje and Vordermark, Dirk and Kuger, Sebastian and Flentje, Michael and Polat, Buelent}, title = {Influence of hypoxia and irradiation on osteopontin expression in head and neck cancer and glioblastoma cell lines}, series = {Radiation Oncology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Radiation Oncology}, number = {167}, doi = {10.1186/s13014-015-0473-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125746}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Tumor hypoxia is a known risk factor for reduced response to radiotherapy. The evaluation of noninvasive methods for the detection of hypoxia is therefore of interest. Osteopontin (OPN) has been discussed as an endogenous hypoxia biomarker. It is overexpressed in many cancers and is involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Methods To examine the influence of hypoxia and irradiation on osteopontin expression we used different cell lines (head and neck cancer (Cal27 and FaDu) and glioblastoma multiforme (U251 and U87)). Cells were treated with hypoxia for 24 h and were then irradiated with doses of 2 and 8 Gy. Osteopontin expression was analyzed on mRNA level by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qPCR) and on protein level by western blot. Cell culture supernatants were evaluated for secreted OPN by ELISA. Results Hypoxia caused an increase in osteopontin protein expression in all cell lines. In Cal27 a corresponding increase in OPN mRNA expression was observed. In contrast the other cell lines showed a reduced mRNA expression under hypoxic conditions. After irradiation OPN mRNA expression raised slightly in FaDu and U87 cells while it was reduced in U251 and stable in Cal27 cells under normoxia. The combined treatment (hypoxia and irradiation) led to a slight increase of OPN mRNA after 2 Gy in U251 (24 h) and in U87 (24 and 48 h) cell lines falling back to base line after 8 Gy. This effect was not seen in Cal27 or in FaDu cells. Secreted OPN was detected only in the two glioblastoma cell lines with reduced protein levels under hypoxic conditions. Again the combined treatment resulted in a minor increase in OPN secretion 48 hours after irradiation with 8 Gy. Conclusion Osteopontin expression is strongly modulated by hypoxia and only to a minor extent by irradiation. Intracellular OPN homeostasis seems to vary considerably between cell lines. This may explain the partly conflicting results concerning response prediction and prognosis in the clinical setting.}, language = {en} } @article{WurmbVollmerSefrinetal.2015, author = {Wurmb, Thomas and Vollmer, Tina and Sefrin, Peter and Kraus, Martin and Happel, Oliver and Wunder, Christian and Steinisch, Andrias and Roewer, Norbert and Maier, Sebastian}, title = {Monitoring of in-hospital cardiac arrest events with the focus on Automated External Defibrillators - a retrospective observational study}, series = {Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine}, volume = {23}, journal = {Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine}, number = {87}, doi = {10.1186/s13049-015-0170-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125756}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Patients with cardiac arrest have lower survival rates, when resuscitation performance is low. In In-hospital settings the first responders on scene are usually nursing staff without rhythm analysing skills. In such cases Automated External Defibrillators (AED) might help guiding resuscitation performance. At the Wuerzburg University Hospital (Germany) an AED-program was initiated in 2007. Aim of the presented study was to monitor the impact of Automated External Defibrillators on the management of in-hospital cardiac arrest events. Methods The data acquisition was part of a continuous quality improvement process of the Wuerzburg University Hospital. For analysing the CPR performance, the chest compression rate (CCR), compression depth (CCD), the no flow fraction (NFF), time interval from AED-activation to the first compression (TtC), the time interval from AED-activation to the first shock (TtS) and the post schock pause (TtCS) were determined by AED captured data. A questionnaire was completed by the first responders. Results From 2010 to 2012 there were 359 emergency calls. From these 53 were cardiac arrests with an AED-application. Complete data were available in 46 cases. The TtC was 34 (32-52) seconds (median and IQR).The TtS was 30 (28-32) seconds (median and IQR) . The TtCS was 4 (3-6) seconds (median and IQR) . The CCD was 5.5 ± 1 cm while the CCR was 107 ± 11/min. The NFF was calculated as 41 \%. ROSC was achieved in 21 patients (45 \%), 8 patients (17 \%) died on scene and 17 patients (37 \%) were transferred under ongoing CPR to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Conclusion The TtS and TtC indicate that there is an AED-user dependent time loss. These time intervals can be markedly reduced, when the user is trained to interrupt the AED's "chain of advices" by placing the electrode-paddles immediately on the patient's thorax. At this time the AED switches directly to the analysing mode. Intensive training and adaption of the training contents is needed to optimize the handling of the AED in order to maximize its advantages and to minimize its disadvantages.}, language = {en} } @article{ZhangLeeWehneretal.2015, author = {Zhang, Yi and Lee, Chil-Woo and Wehner, Nora and Imdahl, Fabian and Svetlana, Veselova and Weiste, Christoph and Dr{\"o}ge-Laser, Wolfgang and Deeken, Rosalia}, title = {Regulation of Oncogene Expression in T-DNA-Transformed Host Plant Cells}, series = {PLoS Pathogens}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS Pathogens}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1004620}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125256}, pages = {e1004620}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains integrate their T-DNA into the plant genome where the encoded agrobacterial oncogenes are expressed and cause crown gall disease. Essential for crown gall development are IaaH (indole-3-acetamide hydrolase), IaaM (tryptophan monooxygenase) and Ipt (isopentenyl transferase), which encode enzymes for the biosynthesis of auxin (IaaH, IaaM) and cytokinin (Ipt). Although these oncogenes are well studied as the tumor-inducing principle, nothing is known about the regulation of oncogene expression in plant cells. Our studies show that the intergenic regions (IGRs) between the coding sequences (CDS) of the three oncogenes function as promoters in plant cells. These promoters possess a eukaryotic sequence organization and cis-regulatory elements for the binding of plant transcription factors. WRKY18, WRKY40, WRKY60 and ARF5 were identified as activators of the Ipt promoter whereas IaaH and IaaM is constitutively expressed and no transcription factor further activates their promoters. Consistent with these results, the wrky triple mutant plants in particular, develops smaller crown galls than wild-type and exhibits a reduced Ipt transcription, despite the presence of an intact ARF5 gene. WRKY40 and WRKY60 gene expression is induced by A. tumefaciens within a few hours whereas the ARF5 gene is transcribed later during crown gall development. The WRKY proteins interact with ARF5 in the plant nucleus, but only WRKY40 together with ARF5 synergistically boosts the activation of the Ipt promoter in an auxin-dependent manner. From our data, we propose that A. tumefaciens initially induces WRKY40 gene expression as a pathogen defense response of the host cell. The WRKY protein is recruited to induce Ipt expression, which initiates cytokinin-dependent host cell division. With increasing auxin levels triggered by ubiquitous expression of IaaH and IaaM, ARF5 is activated and interacts with WRKY40 to potentiate Ipt expression and balance cytokinin and auxin levels for further cell proliferation.}, language = {en} } @article{ZinnerHauserBornetal.2015, author = {Zinner, Christoph and Hauser, Anna and Born, Dennis-Peter and Wehrlin, Jon P. and Holmberg, Hans-Christer and Sperlich, Billy}, title = {Influence of Hypoxic Interval Training and Hyperoxic Recovery on Muscle Activation and Oxygenation in Connection with Double-Poling Exercise}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0140616}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126299}, pages = {e0140616}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Here, we evaluated the influence of breathing oxygen at different partial pressures during recovery from exercise on performance at sea-level and a simulated altitude of 1800 m, as reflected in activation of different upper body muscles, and oxygenation of the m. triceps brachii. Ten well-trained, male endurance athletes (25.3±4.1 yrs; 179.2±4.5 cm; 74.2±3.4 kg) performed four test trials, each involving three 3-min sessions on a double-poling ergometer with 3-min intervals of recovery. One trial was conducted entirely under normoxic (No) and another under hypoxic conditions \((Ho; F_iO_2 = 0.165)\). In the third and fourth trials, the exercise was performed in normoxia and hypoxia, respectively, with hyperoxic recovery \((HOX; F_iO_2 = 1.00)\) in both cases. Arterial hemoglobin saturation was higher under the two HOX conditions than without HOX (p<0.05). Integrated muscle electrical activity was not influenced by the oxygen content (best d = 0.51). Furthermore, the only difference in tissue saturation index measured via near-infrared spectroscopy observed was between the recovery periods during the NoNo and HoHOX interventions (P<0.05, d = 0.93). In the case of HoHo the athletes' \(P_{mean}\) declined from the first to the third interval (P < 0.05), whereas Pmean was unaltered under the HoHOX, NoHOX and NoNo conditions. We conclude that the less pronounced decline in \(P_{mean}\) during 3 x 3-min double-poling sprints in normoxia and hypoxia with hyperoxic recovery is not related to changes in muscle activity or oxygenation. Moreover, we conclude that hyperoxia \((F_iO_2 = 1.00)\) used in conjunction with hypoxic or normoxic work intervals may serve as an effective aid when inhaled during the subsequent recovery intervals.}, language = {en} } @article{ZinnerSperlichWahletal.2015, author = {Zinner, Christoph and Sperlich, Billy and Wahl, Patrick and Mester, Joachim}, title = {Classification of selected cardiopulmonary variables of elite athletes of different age, gender, and disciplines during incremental exercise testing}, series = {SpringerPlus}, volume = {4}, journal = {SpringerPlus}, number = {544}, doi = {10.1186/s40064-015-1341-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126275}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Incremental exercise testing is frequently used as a tool for evaluating determinants of endurance performance. The available reference values for the peak oxygen uptake \((VO_{2peak})\), \% of \(VO_{2peak}\) , running speed at the lactate threshold \((v_{LT})\), running economy (RE), and maximal running speed \((v_{peak})\) for different age, gender, and disciplines are not sufficient for the elite athletic population. The key variables of 491 young athletes (age range 12-21 years; 250 males, 241 females) assessed during a running step test protocol \((2.4 m s^{-1} ; increase 0.4 m s^{-1} 5 min^{-1})\) were analysed in five subgroups, which were related to combat-, team-, endurance-, sprint- and power-, and racquet-related disciplines. Compared with female athletes, male athletes achieved a higher \(v_{peak}\) (P = 0.004). The body mass, lean body mass, height, abs. \(VO_{2peak} (ml min^{-1})\), rel. \(VO_{2peak} (ml kg^{-1} min^{-1})\), rel. \(VO_{2peak} (ml min^{-1} kg^{-0.75})\), and RE were higher in the male participants compared with the females (P < 0.01). The \% of \(VO_2\) at \(v_{LT}\) was lower in the males compared with the females (P < 0.01). No differences between gender were detected for the \(v_{LT}\) (P = 0.17) and \% of \(VO_2\) at \(v_{LT}\) (P = 0.42). This study is one of the first to provide a broad spectrum of data to classify nearly 500 elite athletes aged 12-21 years of both gender and different disciplines.}, language = {en} } @article{ZoungranaConradAmekudzietal.2015, author = {Zoungrana, Benewinde Jean-Bosco and Conrad, Christopher and Amekudzi, Leonard K. and Thiel, Michael and Dapola Da, Evariste and Forkuor, Gerald and L{\"o}w, Fabian}, title = {Multi-Temporal Landsat Images and Ancillary Data for Land Use/Cover Change (LULCC) Detection in the Southwest of Burkina Faso, West Africa}, series = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {7}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, number = {9}, doi = {10.3390/rs70912076}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125866}, pages = {12076-12102}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Accurate quantification of land use/cover change (LULCC) is important for efficient environmental management, especially in regions that are extremely affected by climate variability and continuous population growth such as West Africa. In this context, accurate LULC classification and statistically sound change area estimates are essential for a better understanding of LULCC processes. This study aimed at comparing mono-temporal and multi-temporal LULC classifications as well as their combination with ancillary data and to determine LULCC across the heterogeneous landscape of southwest Burkina Faso using accurate classification results. Landsat data (1999, 2006 and 2011) and ancillary data served as input features for the random forest classifier algorithm. Five LULC classes were identified: woodland, mixed vegetation, bare surface, water and agricultural area. A reference database was established using different sources including high-resolution images, aerial photo and field data. LULCC and LULC classification accuracies, area and area uncertainty were computed based on the method of adjusted error matrices. The results revealed that multi-temporal classification significantly outperformed those solely based on mono-temporal data in the study area. However, combining mono-temporal imagery and ancillary data for LULC classification had the same accuracy level as multi-temporal classification which is an indication that this combination is an efficient alternative to multi-temporal classification in the study region, where cloud free images are rare. The LULCC map obtained had an overall accuracy of 92\%. Natural vegetation loss was estimated to be 17.9\% ± 2.5\% between 1999 and 2011. The study area experienced an increase in agricultural area and bare surface at the expense of woodland and mixed vegetation, which attests to the ongoing deforestation. These results can serve as means of regional and global land cover products validation, as they provide a new validated data set with uncertainty estimates in heterogeneous ecosystems prone to classification errors.}, language = {en} } @article{ZusanGiesekingZersonetal.2015, author = {Zusan, Andreas and Gieseking, Bj{\"o}rn and Zerson, Mario and Dyakonov, Vladimir and Magerle, Robert and Deibel, Carsten}, title = {The Effect of Diiodooctane on the Charge Carrier Generation in Organic Solar Cells Based on the Copolymer PBDTTT-C}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/srep08286}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125022}, pages = {8286}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Microstructural changes and the understanding of their effect on photocurrent generation are key aspects for improving the efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices. We analyze the impact of a systematically increased amount of the solvent additive diiodooctane (DIO) on the morphology of PBDTTT-C:PC71BM blends and related changes in free carrier formation and recombination by combining surface imaging, photophysical and charge extraction techniques. We identify agglomerates visible in AFM images of the 0\% DIO blend as PC71BM domains embedded in an intermixed matrix phase. With the addition of DIO, a decrease in the size of fullerene domains along with a demixing of the matrix phase appears for 0.6\% and 1\% DIO. Surprisingly, transient absorption spectroscopy reveals an efficient photogeneration already for the smallest amount of DIO, although the largest efficiency is found for 3\% DIO. It is ascribed to a fine-tuning of the blend morphology in terms of the formation of interpenetrating donor and acceptor phases minimizing geminate and nongeminate recombination as indicated by charge extraction experiments. An increase in the DIO content to 10\% adversely affects the photovoltaic performance, most probably due to an inefficient free carrier formation and trapping in a less interconnected donor-acceptor network.}, language = {en} } @article{UeceylerKewenigKittelSchneideretal.2015, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Kewenig, Susanne and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Sommer, Claudia}, title = {Increased cortical activation upon painful stimulation in fibromyalgia syndrome}, series = {BMC Neurology}, volume = {15}, journal = {BMC Neurology}, number = {210}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-015-0472-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125230}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and associated symptoms. We investigated cerebral activation in FMS patients by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods Two stimulation paradigms were applied: a) painful pressure stimulation at the dorsal forearm; b) verbal fluency test (VFT). We prospectively recruited 25 FMS patients, ten patients with unipolar major depression (MD) without pain, and 35 healthy controls. All patients underwent neurological examination and all subjects were investigated with questionnaires (pain, depression, FMS, empathy). Results FMS patients had lower pressure pain thresholds than patients with MD and controls (p < 0.001) and reported higher pain intensity (p < 0.001). Upon unilateral pressure pain stimulation fNIRS recordings revealed increased bilateral cortical activation in FMS patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). FMS patients also displayed a stronger contralateral activity over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in direct comparison to patients with MD (p < 0.05). While all three groups performed equally well in the VFT, a frontal deficit in cortical activation was only found in patients with depression (p < 0.05). Performance and cortical activation correlated negatively in FMS patients (p < 0.05) and positively in patients with MD (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our data give further evidence for altered central nervous processing in patients with FMS and the distinction between FMS and MD.}, language = {en} }