TY - JOUR A1 - Sollfrank, Teresa A1 - Hart, Daniel A1 - Goodsell, Rachel A1 - Foster, Jonathan A1 - Tan, Tele T1 - 3D visualization of movements can amplify motor cortex activation during subsequent motor imagery JF - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience N2 - A repetitive movement practice by motor imagery (MI) can influence motor cortical excitability in the electroencephalogram (EEG). This study investigated if a realistic visualization in 3D of upper and lower limb movements can amplify motor related potentials during subsequent MI. We hypothesized that a richer sensory visualization might be more effective during instrumental conditioning, resulting in a more pronounced event related desynchronization (ERD) of the upper alpha band (10–12 Hz) over the sensorimotor cortices thereby potentially improving MI based brain-computer interface (BCI) protocols for motor rehabilitation. The results show a strong increase of the characteristic patterns of ERD of the upper alpha band components for left and right limb MI present over the sensorimotor areas in both visualization conditions. Overall, significant differences were observed as a function of visualization modality (VM; 2D vs. 3D). The largest upper alpha band power decrease was obtained during MI after a 3-dimensional visualization. In total in 12 out of 20 tasks the end-user of the 3D visualization group showed an enhanced upper alpha ERD relative to 2D VM group, with statistical significance in nine tasks.With a realistic visualization of the limb movements, we tried to increase motor cortex activation during subsequent MI. The feedback and the feedback environment should be inherently motivating and relevant for the learner and should have an appeal of novelty, real-world relevance or aesthetic value (Ryan and Deci, 2000; Merrill, 2007). Realistic visual feedback, consistent with the participant’s MI, might be helpful for accomplishing successful MI and the use of such feedback may assist in making BCI a more natural interface for MI based BCI rehabilitation. KW - 3-dimensional visualization KW - motor cortex activation KW - EEG KW - brain-computer interfaces Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126058 VL - 9 IS - 463 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lückerath, Katharina A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Albert, Christa A1 - Herrmann, Ken A1 - Jörg, Gerhard A1 - Samnick, Samuel A1 - Einsele, Herrmann A1 - Knop, Stefan A1 - Buck, Andreas K. T1 - \(^{11}\)C-Methionine-PET: a novel and sensitive tool for monitoring of early response to treatment in multiple myeloma JF - Oncotarget N2 - Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an essentially incurable hematologic malignancy. However, new treatment modalities and novel drugs have been introduced and thus additional tools for therapy monitoring are increasingly needed. Therefore, we evaluated the radiotracers \(^{11}\)C-Methionine (paraprotein-biosynthesis) and \(^{18}\)F-FDG (glucose-utilization) for monitoring response to anti-myeloma-therapy and outcome prediction. Influence of proteasome-inhibition on radiotracer-uptake of different MM cell-lines and patient-derived CD138\(^{+}\) plasma cells was analyzed and related to tumor-biology. Mice xenotransplanted with MM. 1S tumors underwent MET- and FDG-\(\mu\)PET. Tumor-to-background ratios before and after 24 h, 8 and 15 days treatment with bortezomib were correlated to survival. Treatment reduced both MET and FDG uptake; changes in tracer-retention correlated with a switch from high to low CD138-expression. In xenotransplanted mice, MET-uptake significantly decreased by 30-79% as early as 24 h after bortezomib injection. No significant differences were detected thus early with FDG. This finding was confirmed in patient-derived MM cells. Importantly, early reduction of MET-but not FDG-uptake correlated with improved survival and reduced tumor burden in mice. Our results suggest that MET is superior to FDG in very early assessment of response to anti-myeloma-therapy. Early changes in MET-uptake have predictive potential regarding response and survival. MET-PET holds promise to individualize therapies in MM in future. KW - positron emission tomography KW - imaging techniques KW - experience KW - \(^{11}\)C-Methionine-PET KW - treatment response KW - molecular imaging KW - multiple myeloma KW - management KW - \(^{18}\)F-FDG PET/CT KW - bone disease KW - stem-cell transplantation KW - esophagogastric junction Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148688 VL - 6 IS - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baur, Johannes A1 - Schedelbeck, Ulla A1 - Pulzer, Alina A1 - Bluemel, Christina A1 - Wild, Vanessa A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Steger, U. T1 - A case report of a solitary pancreatic metastasis of an adrenocortical carcinoma JF - BMC Surgery N2 - Background Solitary metastases to the pancreas are rare. Therefore the value of resection in curative intention remains unclear. In the literature there are several promising reports about resection of solitary metastasis to the pancreas mainly of renal origin. Case presentation Here we report for the first time on the surgical therapy of a 1.5 cm solitary pancreatic metastasis of an adrenocortical carcinoma. The metastasis occurred almost 6 years after resection of the primary tumor. A partial pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and postoperatively adjuvant mitotane treatment was initiated. During the follow-up of 3 years after surgery no evidence of tumor recurrence occurred. Conclusion Resection of pancreatic tumors should be considered, even if the mass is suspicious for metastatic disease including recurrence of adrenocortical cancer. KW - surgical treatment KW - adrenocortical KW - carcinoma metastases to pancreas Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126130 VL - 15 IS - 93 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kleikers, Pamela W. M. A1 - Hooijmans, Carlijn A1 - Göb, Eva A1 - Langhauser, Friederike A1 - Rewell, Sarah S. J. A1 - Radermacher, Kim A1 - Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel A1 - Howells, David W. A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Schmidt, Harald H. H. W. T1 - A combined pre-clinical meta-analysis and randomized confirmatory trial approach to improve data validity for therapeutic target validation JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Biomedical research suffers from a dramatically poor translational success. For example, in ischemic stroke, a condition with a high medical need, over a thousand experimental drug targets were unsuccessful. Here, we adopt methods from clinical research for a late-stage pre-clinical meta-analysis (MA) and randomized confirmatory trial (pRCT) approach. A profound body of literature suggests NOX\(_{2}\) to be a major therapeutic target in stroke. Systematic review and MA of all available NOX\(_{2}\)\(^{-/y}\) studies revealed a positive publication bias and lack of statistical power to detect a relevant reduction in infarct size. A fully powered multi-center pRCT rejects NOX\(_{2}\) as a target to improve neurofunctional outcomes or achieve a translationally relevant infarct size reduction. Thus stringent statistical thresholds, reporting negative data and a MA-pRCT approach can ensure biomedical data validity and overcome risks of bias. KW - focal cerebral ischemia KW - darbepoetin alpha KW - mice KW - translational stroke research KW - colony-stimulating factor KW - NADPH oxidase inhibitors KW - chronic kidney disease KW - diabetes mellitus KW - oxidative stress KW - search filter Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151401 VL - 5 IS - 13428 ER - TY - THES A1 - Lewandowska, Natalia Ewelina T1 - A Correlation Study of Radio Giant Pulses and Very High Energy Photons from the Crab Pulsar T1 - Eine Korrelationsstudie zwischen Riesenpulsen im Radiobereich und Photonen im Gammabereich vom Pulsar im Krebsnebel N2 - Pulsars (in short for Pulsating Stars) are magnetized, fast rotating neutron stars. The basic picture of a pulsar describes it as a neutron star which has a rotation axis that is not aligned with its magnetic field axis. The emission is assumed to be generated near the magnetic poles of the neutron star and emitted along the open magnetic field lines. Consequently, the corresponding beam of photons is emitted along the magnetic field line axis. The non-alignment of both, the rotation and the magnetic field axis, results in the effect that the emission of the pulsar is only seen if its beam points towards the observer. The emission from a pulsar is therefore perceived as being pulsed although its generation is not. This rather simple geometrical model is commonly referred to as Lighthouse Model and has been widely accepted. However, it does not deliver an explanation of the precise mechanisms behind the emission from pulsars (see below for more details). Nowadays more than 2000 pulsars are known. They are observed at various wavelengths. Multiwavelength studies have shown that some pulsars are visible only at certain wavelengths while the emission from others can be observed throughout large parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. An example of the latter case is the Crab pulsar which is also the main object of interest in this thesis. Originating from a supernova explosion observed in 1054 A.D. and discovered in 1968, the Crab pulsar has been the central subject of numerous studies. Its pulsed emission is visible throughout the whole electromagnetic spectrum which makes it a key figure in understanding the possible mechanisms of multiwavelength emission from pulsars. The Crab pulsar is also well known for its radio emission strongly varying on long as well as on short time scales. While long time scale behaviour from a pulsar is usually examined through the use of its average profile (a profile resulting from averaging of a large number of individual pulses resulting from single rotations), short time scale behaviour is examined via its single pulses. The short time scale anomalous behaviour of its radio emission is commonly referred to as Giant Pulses and represents the central topic of this thesis. While current theoretical approaches place the origin of the radio emission from a pulsar like the Crab near its magnetic poles (Polar Cap Model) as already indicated by the Lighthouse model, its emission at higher frequencies, especially its gamma-ray emission, is assumed to originate further away in the geometrical region surrounding a pulsar which is commonly referred to as a pulsar magnetosphere (Outer Gap Model). Consequently, the respective emission regions are usually assumed not to be connected. However, past observational results from the Crab pulsar represent a contradiction to this assumption. Radio giant pulses from the Crab pulsar have been observed to emit large amounts of energy on very short time scales implying small emission regions on the surface of the pulsar. Such energetic events might also leave a trace in the gamma-ray emission of the Crab pulsar. The aim of this thesis is to search for this connection in the form of a correlation study between radio giant pulses and gamma-photons from the Crab pulsar. To make such a study possible, a multiwavelength observational campaign was organized for which radio observations were independently applied for, coordinated and carried out with the Effelsberg radio telescope and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and gamma-ray observations with the Major Atmospheric Imaging Cherenkov telescopes. The corresponding radio and gamma-ray data sets were reduced and the correlation analysis thereafter consisted of three different approaches: 1) The search for a clustering in the differences of the times of arrival of radio giant pulses and gamma-photons; 2) The search for a linear correlation between radio giant pulses and gamma-photons using the Pearson correlation approach; 3) A search for an increase of the gamma-ray flux around occurring radio giant pulses. In the last part of the correlation study an increase of the number of gamma-photons centered on a radio giant pulse by about 17% (in contrast with the number of gamma-photons when no radio giant pulse occurs in the same time window) was discovered. This finding suggests that a new theoretical approach for the emission of young pulsars like the Crab pulsar, is necessary. N2 - Pulsare (Kurzform von Pulsating Stars) sind stark magnetisierte, rotierende Neutronensterne. Nach dem Standardmodell ist ein Pulsar ein Neutronenstern mit einer Rotationsachse, die nicht entlang der Achse seines Magnetfelds ausgerichtet ist. Es wird angenommen, dass die Pulsarstrahlung in der Nähe der Pole des Neutronensterns an offenen Magnetfeldlinien entsteht. Der dadurch entstehende Photonenstrahl wird entlang der Magnetfeldachse emittiert. Die unterschiedlichen Ausrichtungen der Rotations- und Magnetfeldachse führen dazu, dass die Strahlung des Pulsars von einem Beobachter nur wahrgenommen wird, wenn der Photonenstrahl die Sichtlinie des Beobachters überstreicht. Durch diesen Effekt wird beim Beobachter der Anschein erweckt die Pulsarstrahlung sei gepulst, obwohl sie kontinuerlich produziert wird. Dieses vereinfachte geometrische Model, in der Literatur oftmals als Leuchtturm Modell bezeichnet, ist heutzutage weitestgehend akzeptiert. Es liefert dennoch keine Erklärung für die genaue Entstehung der Pulsarstrahlung (siehe weiter unten). Heutzutage sind mehr als 2000 Pulsare bekannt und werden mittlerweile nicht nur bei Radiowellenlängen untersucht. Multiwellenlängenstudien haben zu der Entdeckung geführt, dass einige Pulsar nur in bestimmten Wellenlängenbereichen sichtbar sind, während die Strahlung von anderen Pulsaren in weiten Teilen des elektromagnetischen Spektrums nachgewiesen werden kann. Ein Beispiel für letzteren Fall ist der Crab Pulsar, das Objekt das die vorliegende Arbeit hauptsächlich betrachtet. Entstanden in einer Supernova, die im Jahre 1054 n.Chr. beobachtet wurde, wurde er 1968 als stellarer Überrest dieser Explosion entdeckt und seitdem im Rahmen zahlreicher Studien untersucht. Seine gepulste Strahlung kann im gesamten elektromagnetischen Spektrum nachgewiesen werden. Diese Eigenschaft macht ihn zu einem Schlüsselobjekt für die Erforschung möglicher Emissionsmechanismen der Strahlung von Pulsaren. Eine weitere Besonderheit des Crab Pulsars liegt auch in dem anomalen Verhalten seiner Radiostrahlung auf kurzen Zeitskalen. Während das Langzeitverhalten eines Pulsars mittels seines mittleren Pulsprofiles (eines Profils resultierend aus der Mittelung vieler Einzelpulse aus einzelnen Rotationen) untersucht wird, wird das Kurzzeitverhalten mittels einzelner Pulse untersucht. Als anomales Verhalten der Radiostrahlung des Crab Pulsars auf diesen kurzen Zeitskalen sind die sogenannten Riesenpulse (Giant Pulses) von Interesse. Einzelpulse dieser Art sind der zentrale zu untersuchende Aspekt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Gängige theoretische Modelle gehen davon aus, dass die Radiostrahlung eines Pulsars in der Nähe der Pole entsteht (Polar Cap Model), wie zuvor vom Leuchtturm Model impliziert wurde, während die hochfrequente Strahlung, wie z.B. die gamma-Strahlung, weiter außen in der Magnetosphäre, die den Pulsar umgibt, entsteht (Outer Gap Model). Ausgehend von diesen beiden theoretischen Ansätzen, wird angenommen, dass die entsprechenden Entstehungsregionen nicht miteinander verbunden sind. Die bisherigen Beobachtungen des Crab Pulsars widersprechen jedoch dieser Annahme. Untersuchungen der Riesenpulse des Crab Pulsars im Radiobereich haben ergeben, dass diese Einzelpulse große Energiemengen binnen sehr kurzen Zeitskalen freisetzen. Dieses Phänomen deutet auf sehr kleine Emissionsregionen auf der Oberfläche des Pulsars hin. Eine Freisetzung dieser Energiemengen könnte auch Spuren im Bereich der hochenergetischen gamma-Strahlung hinterlassen. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist daher eine Untersuchung einer möglichen Verbindung zwischen den Radiopulsen des Crab Pulsars im Radiobereich und seiner gamma-Strahlung in der Form einer Korrelationsstudie. Um eine solche Studie zu ermöglichen, wurde eine Multiwellenlängen Beobachtungskampagne organisiert. Im Rahmen dieser Kampagne wurden selbstständig Radiobeobachtungen am Effelsberger Radioteleskop und am Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope und gamma-Beobachtungen an den Major Atmospheric Imaging Cherenkov Teleskopen erfolgreich beantragt, koordiniert und (teilweise selbstständig vor Ort) ausgeführt. Die daraus entstehenden Datensätze wurden entsprechend bearbeitet und in der resultierenden Korrelationsanalyse wurden die folgenden Aspekte untersucht: 1) Eine Anhäufung in den Ankunftszeiten von Riesenpulsen und gamma-Photonen; 2) Eine Suche nach einer linearen Korrelation zwischen Riesenpulsen und gamma-Photonen mittels der Pearson Korrelation; 3) Eine Suche nach einer Erhöhung des Flusses von gamma-Photonen in der zeitlichen Umgebung eines Riesenpulses im Radiobereich. Im letzten Teil der Analyse konnte eine Erhöhung der Anzahl von gamma-Photonen, die zeitlich auf einem Riesenpuls zentriert sind, von ungefähr 17% (im Vergleich zu der entsprechenden Anzahl im gleichen Zeitfenster, wenn kein Riesenpuls vorhanden ist) nachgewiesen werden. Dieses Ergebnis gibt einen wichtigen Impuls für die Überarbeitung der bereits vorhandenen Emissionsmodelle von jungen Pulsaren wie dem Crab Pulsar. KW - Pulsar KW - Crab-Nebel KW - Gammaastronomie KW - Radioastronomie KW - crab pulsar KW - giant pulses KW - neutron star KW - correlation KW - radio astronomy KW - gamma astronomy KW - Radiofrequenzstrahlung KW - Gammastrahlenastronomie KW - Korrelation Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123533 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stange, Katja A1 - Désir, Julie A1 - Kakar, Naseebullah A1 - Mueller, Thomas D. A1 - Budde, Birgit S. A1 - Gordon, Christopher T. A1 - Horn, Denise A1 - Seemann, Petra A1 - Borck, Guntram T1 - A hypomorphic BMPR1B mutation causes du Pan acromesomelic dysplasia JF - Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases N2 - Background: Grebe dysplasia, Hunter-Thompson dysplasia, and du Pan dysplasia constitute a spectrum of skeletal dysplasias inherited as an autosomal recessive trait characterized by short stature, severe acromesomelic shortening of the limbs, and normal axial skeleton. The majority of patients with these disorders have biallelic loss-of-function mutations of GDF5. In single instances, Grebe dysplasia and a Grebe dysplasia-like phenotype with genital anomalies have been shown to be caused by mutations in BMPR1B, encoding a GDF5 receptor. Methods: We clinically and radiologically characterised an acromesomelic chondrodysplasia in an adult woman born to consanguineous parents. We sequenced GDF5 and BMPR1B on DNA of the proposita. We performed 3D structural analysis and luciferase reporter assays to functionally investigate the identified BMPR1B mutation. Results: We extend the genotype-phenotype correlation in the acromesomelic chondrodysplasias by showing that the milder du Pan dysplasia can be caused by a hypomorphic BMPR1B mutation. We show that the homozygous c.91C>T, p.(Arg31Cys) mutation causing du Pan dysplasia leads to a significant loss of BMPR1B function, but to a lesser extent than the previously reported p.Cys53Arg mutation that results in the more severe Grebe dysplasia. Conclusions: The phenotypic severity gradient of the clinically and radiologically related acromesomelic chondrodysplasia spectrum of skeletal disorders may be due to the extent of functional impairment of the ligand-receptor pair GDF5-BMPR1B. KW - linkage analysis KW - chondrodysplasia KW - specificity KW - Grebe dysplasia KW - BMPR1B KW - du Pan dysplasia KW - tool KW - missense KW - grebe KW - protein-1 CDMP1 gene KW - Acromesomelic dysplasias Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151650 VL - 10 IS - 84 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Planes, Maria D. A1 - Niñoles, Regina A1 - Rubio, Lourdes A1 - Bissoli, Gaetano A1 - Bueso, Eduardo A1 - García-Sánchez, María J. A1 - Alejandro, Santiago A1 - Gonzalez-Guzmán, Miguel A1 - Hedrich, Rainer A1 - Rodriguez, Pedro L. A1 - Fernández, José A. A1 - Serrano, Ramón T1 - A mechanism of growth inhibition by abscisic acid in germinating seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana based on inhibition of plasma membrane \(H^+\)-ATPase and decreased cytosolic pH, \(K^+\), and anions JF - Journal of Experimental Botany N2 - The stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) induces expression of defence genes in many organs, modulates ion homeostasis and metabolism in guard cells, and inhibits germination and seedling growth. Concerning the latter effect, several mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with improved capability for \(H^+\) efflux (wat1-1D, overexpression of AKT1 and ost2-1D) are less sensitive to inhibition by ABA than the wild type. This suggested that ABA could inhibit \(H^+\) efflux (\(H^+\)-ATPase) and induce cytosolic acidification as a mechanism of growth inhibition. Measurements to test this hypothesis could not be done in germinating seeds and we used roots as the most convenient system. ABA inhibited the root plasma-membrane H+-ATPase measured in vitro (ATP hydrolysis by isolated vesicles) and in vivo (\(H^+\) efflux from seedling roots). This inhibition involved the core ABA signalling elements: PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors, ABA-inhibited protein phosphatases (HAB1), and ABA-activated protein kinases (SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3). Electrophysiological measurements in root epidermal cells indicated that ABA, acting through the PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors, induced membrane hyperpolarization (due to \(K^+\) efflux through the GORK channel) and cytosolic acidification. This acidification was not observed in the wat1-1D mutant. The mechanism of inhibition of the \(H^+\)-ATPase by ABA and its effects on cytosolic pH and membrane potential in roots were different from those in guard cells. ABA did not affect the in vivo phosphorylation level of the known activating site (penultimate threonine) of (\(H^+\)-ATPase in roots, and SnRK2.2 phosphorylated in vitro the C-terminal regulatory domain of (\(H^+\)-ATPase while the guard-cell kinase SnRK2.6/OST1 did not. KW - ABA receptors KW - cytosolic pH KW - ion channels KW - microelectrodes KW - protein kinase KW - proton efflux Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121221 VL - 66 IS - 3 ER - TY - THES A1 - Nguyen, Thanh Nam T1 - A model system for carbohydrates interactions on single-crystalline Ru surfaces T1 - Modellsystem für die Wechselwirkungen von Kohlenwasserstoffen mit ein kristallinen Rutheniumoberflächen N2 - In this thesis, I present a model system for carbohydrate interactions with single-crystalline Ru surfaces. Geometric and electronic properties of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) on top of graphene on hexagonal Ru(0001), rectangular Ru(10-10) and vicinal Ru(1,1,-2,10) surfaces have been studied. First, the Fermi surfaces and band structures of the three Ru surfaces were investigated by high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental data and theoretical calculations allow to derive detailed information about the momentum-resolved electronic structure. The results can be used as a reference to understand the chemical and catalytic properties of Ru surfaces. Second, graphene layers were prepared on the three different Ru surfaces. Using low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy, it was found that graphene can be grown in well-ordered structures on all three surfaces, hexagonal Ru(0001), rectangular Ru(10-10) and vicinal Ru(1,1,-2,10), although they have different surface symmetries. Evidence for a strong interaction between graphene and Ru surfaces is a 1.3-1.7e V increase in the graphene pi-bands binding energy with respect to free-standing graphene sheets. This energy variation is due to the hybridization between the graphene pi bands and the Ru 4d electrons, while the lattice mismatch does not play an important role in the bonding between graphene and Ru surfaces. Finally, the geometric and electronic structures of CuPc on Ru(10-10), graphene/Ru(10-10), and graphene/Ru(0001) have been studied in detail. CuPc molecules can be grown well-ordered on Ru(10-10) but not on Ru(0001). The growth of CuPc on graphene/Ru(10-10) and Ru(0001) is dominated by the Moire pattern of graphene. CuPc molecules form well-ordered structures with rectangular unit cells on graphene/Ru(10-10) and Ru(0001). The distance of adjacent CuPc molecules is 1.5 and 1.3 nm on graphene/Ru(0001) and 1.54 and 1.37 nm on graphene/Ru(10-10). This indicates that the molecule-substrate interaction dominates over the intermolecular interaction for CuPc molecules on graphene/Ru(10-10) and graphene/Ru(0001). N2 - In dieser Arbeit stelle ich ein Modellsystem für die Wechselwirkungen von Kohlenwasserstoffen mit ein kristallinen Rutheniumoberflächen vor. Die geometrischen und elektronischen Eigenschaften von Kupfer-Phthalocyanin (CuPc) als Deckschicht über Graphen auf hexagonalen Ru(0001)-, rechteckigen Ru(10-10)- und vicinalen Ru(1,1,-2,10)-Oberflächen wurden untersucht. Zunächst wurden die Fermioberflächen und Bandstrukturen der drei Rutheniumoberflächen mittels hochauflösender winkelaufgelöster Photoemissions spektroskopie ermittelt. Die experimentellen Daten und theoretischen Berechnungen erlauben es, detaillierte Informationen zur impulsaufgelösten elektronischen Struktur abzuleiten. Die Ergebnisse können als Referenz für ein besseres Verständnis der chemischen und katalytischen Eigenschaften von Rutheniumoberflächen dienen. Als nächstes wurden Graphenschichten auf den drei verschiedenen Rutheniumoberflächen hergestellt. Bei Messungen der Beugung niederenergetischer Elektronen an den Oberflächen sowie mittels Rastertunnelmikroskopie stellte sich heraus, dass Graphen hoch geordnete Strukturen auf allen drei Oberflächen, hexagonalem Ru(0001), rechteckigem Ru(10-10) und vicinalem Ru(1,1,-2,10), bildet, obwohl diese unterschiedliche Symmetrien aufweisen. Ein Hinweis auf eine starke Wechselwirkung zwischen Graphen und den Rutheniumoberflächen ist der Anstieg der Bindungsenergie der Graphen-pi-Bänder um 1.3-1.7 eV im Vergleich zu freistehenden Graphenschichten. Diese Änderung der Energie beruht auf der Hybridisierung zwischen den Graphen-pi-Bändern und den 4d-Elektronen des Rutheniums, wohingegen der Gitterversatz keine große Rolle bei der Bindung zwischen Graphen und Rutheniumoberflächen spielt. Abschließend wurden die geometrischen und elektronischen Strukturen von CuPc auf Ru(10-10), Graphen/Ru(10-10) und Graphen/Ru(0001) im Detail untersucht. CuPc-Moleküle konnten mit hoher Ordnung auf Ru(10-10) abgelagert werden, nicht jedoch auf Ru(0001). Das Wachstum von CuPc auf Graphen/Ru(10-10) und Ru(0001) wird durch die Moirestruktur des Graphens bestimmt. CuPc-Moleküle bilden hoch geordnete Strukturen mit rechteckigen Elementarzellen auf Graphen/Ru(10-10) und Ru(0001). Der Abstand benachbarter CuPc-Moleküle beträgt 1.5 und 1.3 nm auf Graphen/Ru(0001) sowie 1.54 und 1.37 nm auf Graphen/Ru(10-10). Dies weist darauf hin, dass die Molekül-Substrat-Wechselwirkung bei CuPc-Molekülen auf Graphen/Ru(10-10) und Graphen/Ru(0001) stärker ist als die intermolekulare Wechselwirkung zwischen den CuPc-Molekülen. KW - Ruthenium KW - Kristalloberfläche KW - Kohlenwasserstoffe KW - Wechselwirkung KW - single-crystalline Ru surfaces KW - Graphene KW - CuPc KW - Ru(0001) KW - Step Ru surface Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111485 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zaho, Huaying A1 - Ghirlando, Rodolfo A1 - Alfonso, Carlos A1 - Arisaka, Fumio A1 - Attali, Ilan A1 - Bain, David L. A1 - Bakhtina, Marina M. A1 - Becker, Donald F. A1 - Bedwell, Gregory J. A1 - Bekdemir, Ahmet A1 - Besong, Tabot M. D. A1 - Birck, Catherine A1 - Brautigam, Chad A. A1 - Brennerman, William A1 - Byron, Olwyn A1 - Bzowska, Agnieszka A1 - Chaires, Jonathan B. A1 - Chaton, Catherine T. A1 - Coelfen, Helmbut A1 - Connaghan, Keith D. A1 - Crowley, Kimberly A. A1 - Curth, Ute A1 - Daviter, Tina A1 - Dean, William L. A1 - Diez, Ana I. A1 - Ebel, Christine A1 - Eckert, Debra M. A1 - Eisele, Leslie E. A1 - Eisenstein, Edward A1 - England, Patrick A1 - Escalante, Carlos A1 - Fagan, Jeffrey A. A1 - Fairman, Robert A1 - Finn, Ron M. A1 - Fischle, Wolfgang A1 - Garcia de la Torre, Jose A1 - Gor, Jayesh A1 - Gustafsson, Henning A1 - Hall, Damien A1 - Harding, Stephen E. A1 - Hernandez Cifre, Jose G. A1 - Herr, Andrew B. A1 - Howell, Elizabeth E. A1 - Isaac, Richard S. A1 - Jao, Shu-Chuan A1 - Jose, Davis A1 - Kim, Soon-Jong A1 - Kokona, Bashkim A1 - Kornblatt, Jack A. A1 - Kosek, Dalibor A1 - Krayukhina, Elena A1 - Krzizike, Daniel A1 - Kusznir, Eric A. A1 - Kwon, Hyewon A1 - Larson, Adam A1 - Laue, Thomas M. A1 - Le Roy, Aline A1 - Leech, Andrew P. A1 - Lilie, Hauke A1 - Luger, Karolin A1 - Luque-Ortega, Juan R. A1 - Ma, Jia A1 - May, Carrie A. A1 - Maynard, Ernest L. A1 - Modrak-Wojcik, Anna A1 - Mok, Yee-Foong A1 - Mücke, Norbert A1 - Nagel-Steger, Luitgard A1 - Narlikar, Geeta J. A1 - Noda, Masanori A1 - Nourse, Amanda A1 - Obsil, Thomas A1 - Park, Chad K A1 - Park, Jin-Ku A1 - Pawelek, Peter D. A1 - Perdue, Erby E. A1 - Perkins, Stephen J. A1 - Perugini, Matthew A. A1 - Peterson, Craig L. A1 - Peverelli, Martin G. A1 - Piszczek, Grzegorz A1 - Prag, Gali A1 - Prevelige, Peter E. A1 - Raynal, Bertrand D. E. A1 - Rezabkova, Lenka A1 - Richter, Klaus A1 - Ringel, Alison E. A1 - Rosenberg, Rose A1 - Rowe, Arthur J. A1 - Rufer, Arne C. A1 - Scott, David J. A1 - Seravalli, Javier G. A1 - Solovyova, Alexandra S. A1 - Song, Renjie A1 - Staunton, David A1 - Stoddard, Caitlin A1 - Stott, Katherine A1 - Strauss, Holder M. A1 - Streicher, Werner W. A1 - Sumida, John P. A1 - Swygert, Sarah G. A1 - Szczepanowski, Roman H. A1 - Tessmer, Ingrid A1 - Toth, Ronald T. A1 - Tripathy, Ashutosh A1 - Uchiyama, Susumu A1 - Uebel, Stephan F. W. A1 - Unzai, Satoru A1 - Gruber, Anna Vitlin A1 - von Hippel, Peter H. A1 - Wandrey, Christine A1 - Wang, Szu-Huan A1 - Weitzel, Steven E A1 - Wielgus-Kutrowska, Beata A1 - Wolberger, Cynthia A1 - Wolff, Martin A1 - Wright, Edward A1 - Wu, Yu-Sung A1 - Wubben, Jacinta M. A1 - Schuck, Peter T1 - A Multilaboratory Comparison of Calibration Accuracy and the Performance of External References in Analytical Ultracentrifugation JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304\(\pm\)0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of \(\pm\)0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies. KW - fluorescence-detected sedimentation KW - size exclusion chromatography KW - field flow fractionation KW - spinco ultracentrifuge KW - aggregation KW - bead models KW - velocity KW - hydrodynamics KW - biopharmaceuticals KW - proteins Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151903 VL - 10 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Matsuda, Yoichi A1 - Uno, Yoshinobu A1 - Kondo, Mariko A1 - Gilchrist, Michael J. A1 - Zorn, Aaron M. A1 - Rokhsar, Daniel S. A1 - Schmid, Michael A1 - Taira, Masanori T1 - A New Nomenclature of Xenopus laevis Chromosomes Based on the Phylogenetic Relationship to Silurana/Xenopus tropicalis JF - Cytogenetic and Genome Research N2 - Xenopus laevis (XLA) is an allotetraploid species which appears to have undergone whole-genome duplication after the interspecific hybridization of 2 diploid species closely related to Silurana/Xenopus tropicalis (XTR). Previous cDNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments have identified 9 sets of homoeologous chromosomes in X. laevis, in which 8 sets correspond to chromosomes 1-8 of X. tropicalis (XTR1-XTR8), and the last set corresponds to a fusion of XTR9 and XTR10. In addition, recent X. laevis genome sequencing and BAC-FISH experiments support this physiological relationship and show no gross chromosome translocation in the X. laevis karyotype. Therefore, for the benefit of both comparative cytogenetics and genome research, we here propose a new chromosome nomenclature for X. laevis based on the phylogenetic relationship and chromosome length, i.e. XLA1L, XLA1S, XLA2L, XLA2S, and so on, in which the numbering of XLA chromosomes corresponds to that in X. tropicalis and the postfixes ‘L' and ‘S' stand for ‘long' and ‘short' chromosomes in the homoeologous pairs, which can be distinguished cytologically by their relative size. The last chromosome set is named XLA9L and XLA9S, in which XLA9 corresponds to both XTR9 and XTR10, and hence, to emphasize the phylogenetic relationship to X. tropicalis, XLA9_10L and XLA9_10S are also used as synonyms. KW - BrdU replication banding pattern KW - homoeologous chromosomes KW - nomenclature KW - Xenopus laevis KW - Xenopus tropicalis Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196748 SN - 1424-8581 SN - 1424-859X N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 145 IS - 3-4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koziol, Uriel A1 - Radio, Santiago A1 - Smircich, Pablo A1 - Zarowiecki, Magdalena A1 - Fernández, Cecilia A1 - Brehm, Klaus T1 - A novel terminal-repeat retrotransposon in miniature (TRIM) is massively expressed in Echinococcus multilocularis stem cells JF - Genome Biology and Evolution N2 - Taeniid cestodes (including the human parasites Echinococcus spp. and Taenia solium) have very few mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in their genome, despite lacking a canonical PIWI pathway. The MGEs of these parasites are virtually unexplored, and nothing is known about their expression and silencing. In this work, we report the discovery of a novel family of small nonautonomous long terminal repeat retrotransposons (also known as terminal-repeat retrotransposons in miniature, TRIMs) which we have named ta-TRIM (taeniid TRIM). ta-TRIMs are only the second family of TRIM elements discovered in animals, and are likely the result of convergent reductive evolution in different taxonomic groups. These elements originated at the base of the taeniid tree and have expanded during taeniid diversification, including after the divergence of closely related species such as Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus. They are massively expressed in larval stages, from a small proportion of full-length copies and from isolated terminal repeats that show transcriptional read-through into downstream regions, generating novel noncoding RNAs and transcriptional fusions to coding genes. In E. multilocularis, ta-TRIMs are specifically expressed in the germinative cells (the somatic stem cells) during asexual reproduction of metacestode larvae. This would provide a developmental mechanism for insertion of ta-TRIMs into cells that will eventually generate the adult germ line. Future studies of active and inactive ta-TRIM elements could give the first clues on MGE silencing mechanisms in cestodes. KW - Schistosoma mansoni KW - molecular characterization KW - gene conversion KW - nonautonomous KW - neoblast KW - pluripotency KW - retrotransposition KW - long noncoding RNA KW - epidermal growth factor KW - transposable elements KW - LTR retrotransposons KW - blood fluke KW - homologous recombination KW - Cestoda Taeniidae Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148306 VL - 7 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winkler, Karol A1 - Fischer, Julian A1 - Schade, Anne A1 - Amthor, Matthias A1 - Dall, Robert A1 - Geßler, Jonas A1 - Emmerling, Monika A1 - Ostrovskaya, Elena A. A1 - Kamp, Martin A1 - Schneider, Christian A1 - Höfling, Sven T1 - A polariton condensate in a photonic crystal potential landscape JF - New Journal of Physics N2 - 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. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125050 VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Djuzenova, Cholpon S. A1 - Zimmermann, Marcus A1 - Katzer, Astrid A1 - Fiedler, Vanessa A1 - Distel, Luitpold V. A1 - Gasser, Martin A1 - Waaga-Gasser, Anna-Maria A1 - Flentje, Michael A1 - Polat, Bülent T1 - A prospective study on histone γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci expression in rectal carcinoma patients: correlation with radiation therapy-induced outcome JF - BMC Cancer N2 - Background The prognostic value of histone γ-H2AX and 53BP1 proteins to predict the radiotherapy (RT) outcome of patients with rectal carcinoma (RC) was evaluated in a prospective study. High expression of the constitutive histone γ-H2AX is indicative of defective DNA repair pathway and/or genomic instability, whereas 53BP1 (p53-binding protein 1) is a conserved checkpoint protein with properties of a DNA double-strand breaks sensor. Methods Using fluorescence microscopy, we assessed spontaneous and radiation-induced foci of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from unselected RC patients (n = 53) undergoing neoadjuvant chemo- and RT. Cells from apparently healthy donors (n = 12) served as references. Results The γ-H2AX assay of in vitro irradiated lymphocytes revealed significantly higher degree of DNA damage in the group of unselected RC patients with respect to the background, initial (0.5 Gy, 30 min) and residual (0.5 Gy and 2 Gy, 24 h post-radiation) damage compared to the control group. Likewise, the numbers of 53BP1 foci analyzed in the samples from 46 RC patients were significantly higher than in controls except for the background DNA damage. However, both markers were not able to predict tumor stage, gastrointestinal toxicity or tumor regression after curative RT. Interestingly, the mean baseline and induced DNA damage was found to be lower in the group of RC patients with tumor stage IV (n = 7) as compared with the stage III (n = 35). The difference, however, did not reach statistical significance, apparently, because of the limited number of patients. Conclusions The study shows higher expression of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci in rectal cancer patients compared with healthy individuals. Yet the data in vitro were not predictive in regard to the radiotherapy outcome. KW - radiosensitivity KW - peripheral blood lymphocytes KW - DNA repair KW - DNA damage Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125303 VL - 15 IS - 856 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Ali, Qasim A1 - Montenegro, Sergio T1 - A Simple Approach to Quadrocopter Formation Flying Test Setup for Education and Development T2 - INTED2015 Proceedings N2 - A simple test setup has been developed at Institute of Aerospace Information Technology, University of Würzburg, Germany to realize basic functionalities for formation flight of quadrocopters. The test environment is planned to be utilized for developing and validating the algorithms for formation flying capability in real environment as well as for education purpose. An already existing test bed for single quadrocopter was extended with necessary inter-communication and distributed control mechanism to test the algorithms for formation flights in 2 degrees of freedom (roll / pitch). This study encompasses the domain of communication, control engineering and embedded systems programming. Bluetooth protocol has been used for inter-communication between two quadrocopters. A simple approach of PID control in combination with Kalman filter has been exploited. MATLAB Instrument Control Toolbox has been used for data display, plotting and analysis. Plots can be drawn in real-time and received information can also be stored in the form of files for later use and analysis. The test setup has been developed indigenously and at considerably low cost. Emphasis has been placed on simplicity to facilitate students learning process. Several lessons have been learnt during the course of development of this setup. Proposed setup is quite flexible that can be modified as per changing requirements. KW - Flugkörper KW - Design and Development KW - Formation Flight KW - Instrument Control Toolbox KW - Quadrocopter KW - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle KW - Quadrocopter Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114495 SN - 978-84-606-5763-7 SN - 2340-1079 SP - 2776 EP - 2784 PB - International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) ER - TY - THES A1 - Yang, Zhenghong T1 - A systematic study of learned helplessness in Drosophila melanogaster T1 - Eine systematische Untersuchung der erlernten Hilflosigkeit in Drosophila melanogaster N2 - The learned helplessness phenomenon is a specific animal behavior induced by prior exposure to uncontrollable aversive stimuli. It was first found by Seligman and Maier (1967) in dogs and then has been reported in many other species, e.g. in rats (Vollmayr and Henn, 2001), in goldfishes (Padilla, 1970), in cockroaches (Brown, 1988) and also in fruit flies (Brown, 1996; Bertolucci, 2008). However, the learned helplessness effect in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) has not been studied in detail. Thus, in this doctoral study, we investigated systematically learned helplessness behavior of Drosophila for the first time. Three groups of flies were tested in heatbox. Control group was in the chambers experiencing constant, mild temperature. Second group, master flies were punished in their chambers by being heated if they stopped walking for 0.9s. The heat pulses ended as soon as they resumed walking again. A third group, the yoked fly, was in their chambers at the same time. However, their behavior didn’t affect anything: yoked flies were heated whenever master flies did, with same timing and durations. After certain amount of heating events, yoked flies associated their own behavior with the uncontrollability of the environment. They suppressed their innate responses such as reducing their walking time and walking speed; making longer escape latencies and less turning around behavior under heat pulses. Even after the conditioning phase, yoked flies showed lower activity level than master and control flies. Interestingly, we have also observed sex dimorphisms in flies. Male flies expressed learned helplessness not like female flies. Differences between master and yoked flies were smaller in male than in female flies. Another interesting finding was that prolonged or even repetition of training phases didn’t enhance learned helplessness effect in flies. Furthermore, we investigated serotonergic and dopaminergic nervous systems in learned helplessness. Using genetic and pharmacological manipulations, we altered the levels of serotonin and dopamine in flies’ central nervous system. Female flies with reduced serotonin concentration didn’t show helpless behavior, while the learned helplessness effect in male flies seems not to be affected by a reduction of serotonin. Flies with lower dopamine level do not display the learned helplessness effect in the test phase, suggesting that with low dopamine the motivational change in learned helplessness in Drosophila may decline faster than with a normal dopamine level. N2 - Das „learned helplessness“ Phänomen ist ein spezifisches Verhalten nach vorheriger Exposition von unkontrollierbaren aversiven Stimuli induziert. Es wurde zuerst von Seligman und Maier (1967) bei Hunden und dann in vielen anderen Tierarten berichtet, z.B. in Ratten (Vollmayr und Henn, 2001), in Goldfische (Padilla , 1970), in Kakerlaken (Brown, 1988) sowie in Fruchtfliegen (Brown, 1996; Bertolucci, 2008). Allerdings wurde das learned helplessness Phänomen in Fruchtfliegen (Drosophila melanogaster) noch nicht genau erforscht. Somit wird in dieser Doktorarbeit haben wir erlernten learned helplessness von Drosophila zum ersten Mal systematisch untersucht. Drei Gruppen von Fliegen wurden in Heatbox getestet. Die Kontrollgruppe war in den Kammern erlebter konstant milder Temperatur. Die zweite Master Gruppe wurde in ihren Kammern erhitzt, wenn sie blieb stehen für 0,9 s. Die Hitze endete, sobald sie sich wieder bewegten. Eine dritte Gruppe, die Yoked Fliegen, war in ihren Kammern gleichzeitig. Doch ihr Verhalten keine Auswirkungen auf die Hitze hatte: Yoked Fliegen wurden erhitzt, wenn Master Fliegen wurden, mit gleichen Zeitpunkt und Dauer. Nach gewissen Hitze Veranstaltungen, Yoked Fliegen assoziierten ihre eigenen Verhalten mit der Unkontrollierbarkeit der Umwelt. Sie unterdrückte ihre angeborene Reaktionen, wie die Verringerung ihrer Laufaktivität; verlängerte mehr Fluchtlatenzzeiten und weniger Umdrehen Verhalten unter Hitzen. Auch nach der Konditionierungsphase zeigte Yoked Fliegen niedrigeren Aktivität als Master und Kontrolle Fliegen. Interessanterweise haben wir auch Sex Dimorphismus in Fliegen beobachtet. Male Fliegen haben learned helplessness nicht wie weibliche Fliegen ausgedrückt. Die Unterschiede zwischen den Master und Yoked Fliegen waren bei männlichen kleiner als bei weiblichen Fliegen. Ein weiteres interessantes Ergebnis war, dass längere oder sogar wiederholte Trainingsphasen die lerned helplessness Wirkung bei Fliegen nicht verstärken könnten. Darüber hinaus haben wir serotonergen und dopaminerge Nervensysteme in learned helplessness erforscht. Mit genetischen und pharmakologischen Manipulationen, haben wir das Niveau von Serotonin und Dopamin im zentralen Nervensystem der Fliegen geändert. Weibliche Fliegen mit reduzierten Serotoninkonzentration zeigten kein hilflos Verhalten, während die learned helplessness Wirkung in männlichen Fliegen schien nicht durch eine Reduktion von Serotonin beeinflusst zu werden. Fliegen mit niedrigerer Dopamin Konzentration zeigten keine learned helplessness Wirkung in der Testphase an, was darauf hindeutet, dass mit niedrigen Dopamin die Motivationsänderung in learned helplessness in Drosophila kann schneller als mit einem normalen Dopaminspiegel sinken. KW - Taufliege KW - Gelernte Hilflosigkeit KW - Drosophila KW - learned helplessness KW - depression KW - learning and memory Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-112424 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lamatsch, Dunja K. A1 - Adolfsson, Sofia A1 - Senior, Alistair M. A1 - Christiansen, Guntram A1 - Pichler, Maria A1 - Ozaki, Yuichi A1 - Smeds, Linnea A1 - Schartl, Manfred A1 - Nakagawa, Shinichi T1 - A transcriptome derived female-specific marker from the invasive Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Sex-specific markers are a prerequisite for understanding reproductive biology, genetic factors involved in sex differences, mechanisms of sex determination, and ultimately the evolution of sex chromosomes. The Western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, may be considered a model species for sex-chromosome evolution, as it displays female heterogamety (ZW/ZZ), and is also ecologically interesting as a worldwide invasive species. Here, de novo RNA-sequencing on the gonads of sexually mature G. affinis was used to identify contigs that were highly transcribed in females but not in males (i.e., transcripts with ovary-specific expression). Subsequently, 129 primer pairs spanning 79 contigs were tested by PCR to identify sex-specific transcripts. Of those primer pairs, one female-specific DNA marker was identified, Sanger sequenced and subsequently validated in 115 fish. Sequence analyses revealed a high similarity between the identified sex-specific marker and the 3' UTR of the aminomethyl transferase (amt) gene of the closely related platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus). This is the first time that RNA-seq has been used to successfully characterize a sex-specific marker in a fish species in the absence of a genome map. Additionally, the identified sex-specific marker represents one of only a handful of such markers in fishes. KW - sex chromosome evolution KW - linkage map KW - determination locus KW - poeciliid fishes KW - heterogamety KW - Cynoglossus semilaevis KW - determining genes KW - Y chromosome KW - sequence alignment Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144004 VL - 10 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - von Bohl, Andreas A1 - Kuehn, Andrea A1 - Simon, Nina A1 - Nkwouano Ngongang, Vanesa A1 - Spehr, Marc A1 - Baumeister, Stefan A1 - Przyborski, Jude M. A1 - Fischer, Rainer A1 - Pradel, Gabriele T1 - A WD40-repeat protein unique to malaria parasites associates with adhesion protein complexes and is crucial for blood stage progeny JF - Malaria Journal N2 - Background During development in human erythrocytes, Plasmodium falciparum parasites display a remarkable number of adhesive proteins on their plasma membrane. In the invasive merozoites, these include members of the PfMSP1 and PfAMA1/RON complexes, which facilitate contact between merozoites and red blood cells. In gametocytes, sexual precursor cells mediating parasite transmission to the mosquito vector, plasma membrane-associated proteins primarily belong to the PfCCp and 6-cys families with roles in fertilization. This study describes a newly identified WD40-repeat protein unique to Plasmodium species that associates with adhesion protein complexes of both merozoites and gametocytes. Methods The WD40-repeat protein-like protein PfWLP1 was identified via co-immunoprecipitation assays followed by mass spectrometry and characterized using biochemical and immunohistochemistry methods. Reverse genetics were employed for functional analysis. Results PfWLP1 is expressed both in schizonts and gametocytes. In mature schizonts, the protein localizes underneath the merozoite micronemes and interacts with PfAMA1, while in gametocytes PfWLP1 primarily accumulates underneath the plasma membrane and associates with PfCCp1 and Pfs230. Reverse genetics failed to disrupt the pfwlp1 gene, while haemagglutinin-tagging was feasible, suggesting a crucial function for PfWLP1 during blood stage replication. Conclusions This is the first report on a plasmodial WD40-repeat protein associating with cell adhesion proteins. Since WD40 domains are known to mediate protein–protein contact by serving as a rigid scaffold for protein interactions, the presented data suggest that PfWLP1 supports the stability of adhesion protein complexes of the plasmodial blood stages. KW - PfCCp protein KW - Pfs230 KW - PfAMA1 KW - WD40 KW - gametocyte KW - microneme KW - merozoite KW - plasmodium falciparum KW - malaria Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139728 VL - 14 IS - 435 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schatton, Tobias A1 - Yang, Jun A1 - Kleffel, Sonja A1 - Uehara, Mayuko A1 - Barthel, Steven R. A1 - Schlapbach, Christoph A1 - Zhan, Qian A1 - Dudeney, Stephen A1 - Mueller, Hansgeorg A1 - Lee, Nayoung A1 - de Vries, Juliane C. A1 - Meier, Barbara A1 - Beken, Seppe Vander A1 - Kluth, Mark A. A1 - Ganss, Christoph A1 - Sharpe, Arlene H. A1 - Waaga-Gasser, Ana Maria A1 - Sayegh, Mohamed H. A1 - Abdi, Reza A1 - Scharffetter-Kochanek, Karin A1 - Murphy, George F. A1 - Kupper, Thomas S. A1 - Frank, Natasha Y. A1 - Frank, Markus H. T1 - ABCB5 Identifies Immunoregulatory Dermal Cells JF - Cell Reports N2 - Cell-based strategies represent a new frontier in the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However, the paucity of markers for isolation of molecularly defined immunomodulatory cell populations poses a barrier to this field. Here, we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) identifies dermal immunoregulatory cells (DIRCs) capable of exerting therapeutic immunoregulatory functions through engagement of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). Purified Abcb5\(^+\) DIRCs suppressed T cell proliferation, evaded immune rejection, homed to recipient immune tissues, and induced Tregs in vivo. In fully major-histocompatibility-complex-mismatched cardiac allotransplantation models, allogeneic DIRCs significantly prolonged allograft survival. Blockade of DIRC-expressed PD-1 reversed the inhibitory effects of DIRCs on T cell activation, inhibited DIRC-dependent Treg induction, and attenuated DIRC-induced prolongation of cardiac allograft survival, indicating that DIRC immunoregulatory function is mediated, at least in part, through PD-1. Our results identify ABCB5\(^+\) DIRCs as a distinct immunoregulatory cell population and suggest promising roles of this expandable cell subset in cellular immunotherapy. KW - mesenchymal stem cells KW - P-glycoprotein KW - regulatory T cells KW - maintain immune homeostasis KW - malignant melanoma KW - in vivo KW - skin KW - generation KW - transplant KW - tolerance Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-149989 VL - 12 SP - 1564 EP - 1574 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Högger, Petra A1 - Xiao, Jianbo T1 - Abstracts of the International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food N2 - The International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (ISPMF2015), organized by the Phytochemical Society of Europe (PSE) and the Phytochemical Society of Asia (PSA), was held June 26-29, 2015, in Shanghai of China. This was the first time that a PSE meeting has been held in Asia and a PSE-PSA joint symposium provided an opportunity for communication between scientists from Europe and Asia and other continents. ISPMF2015 has been jointly sponsored by Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Guizhou Medical University, Shanghai Normal University, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, and Fudan University. More than 270 scientists from 48 countries attended this meeting and presented their research and opinions on phytochemistry, phytomedicine and phytoneering. The international organizing committee and scientific advisory board of ISPMF 2015 comprised of outstanding scientists from around the globe. Dr. Jianbo Xiao was the chairman of the International Organizing Committee of ISPMF2015 and moderated the open address on June 26. The organizing committee of ISPMF2015 assembled an exciting and diverse program, featuring 16 sessions including 12 plenary lectures, 20 invited talks, 55 short oral presentations, and more than 130 posters, which were dedicated to creating a podium for exchanging the latest research results in the phytochemicals for food and human health. KW - phytoneering KW - phytomedicine KW - nutrition KW - food KW - medicine KW - phytochemistry KW - ISPMF Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121585 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Elster, Lars A1 - Platt, Christian A1 - Thomale, Ronny A1 - Hanke, Werner A1 - Hankiewicz, Ewelina M. T1 - Accessing topological superconductivity via a combined STM and renormalization group analysis JF - Nature Communications N2 - The search for topological superconductors has recently become a key issue in condensed matter physics, because of their possible relevance to provide a platform for Majorana bound states, non-Abelian statistics, and quantum computing. Here we propose a new scheme which links as directly as possible the experimental search to a material-based microscopic theory for topological superconductivity. For this, the analysis of scanning tunnelling microscopy, which typically uses a phenomenological ansatz for the superconductor gap functions, is elevated to a theory, where a multi-orbital functional renormalization group analysis allows for an unbiased microscopic determination of the material-dependent pairing potentials. The combined approach is highlighted for paradigmatic hexagonal systems, such as doped graphene and water-intercalated sodium cobaltates, where lattice symmetry and electronic correlations yield a propensity for a chiral singlet topological superconductor. We demonstrate that our microscopic material-oriented procedure is necessary to uniquely resolve a topological superconductor state. KW - tunneling spectroscopy KW - Sr\(_2\)RuO\(_4\) KW - states KW - transition KW - insulators KW - surface KW - Majorana fermions KW - unconventional superconductivity KW - wave superconductors Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148181 VL - 6 IS - 8232 ER -