Refine
Year of publication
- 2019 (565) (remove)
Document Type
- Journal article (565) (remove)
Language
- English (565) (remove)
Keywords
- apoptosis (9)
- inflammation (7)
- boron (6)
- cancer (6)
- children (6)
- Fabry disease (5)
- deep learning (5)
- ischemic stroke (5)
- stem cells (5)
- tissue engineering (5)
Institute
- Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften (91)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II (36)
- Physikalisches Institut (33)
- Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik (32)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I (30)
- Institut für Psychologie (26)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie (23)
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie (22)
- Institut für Geographie und Geologie (21)
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum (20)
Sonstige beteiligte Institutionen
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Sana Hospital Hof, Hof, Germany (1)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden (1)
- Department of Medicine A, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany (1)
- IZKF Nachwuchsgruppe Geweberegeneration für muskuloskelettale Erkrankungen (1)
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (1)
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1)
- University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy (1)
A stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) associated with an appetitive unconditioned stimulus (US) acquires positive properties and elicits appetitive conditioned responses (CR). Such associative learning has been examined extensively in animals with food as the US, and results are used to explain psychopathologies (e.g., substance-related disorders or obesity). Human studies on appetitive conditioning exist, too, but we still know little about generalization processes. Understanding these processes may explain why stimuli not associated with a drug, for instance, can elicit craving. Forty-seven hungry participants underwent an appetitive conditioning protocol during which one of two circles with different diameters (CS+) became associated with an appetitive US (chocolate or salty pretzel, according to participants’ preference) but never the other circle (CS−). During generalization, US were delivered twice and the two CS were presented again plus four circles (generalization stimuli, GS) with gradually increasing diameters from CS− to CS+. We found successful appetitive conditioning as reflected in appetitive subjective ratings (positive valence, higher contingency) and physiological responses (startle attenuation and larger skin conductance responses) to CS+ versus CS−, and, importantly, both measures confirmed generalization as indicated by generalization gradients. Small changes in CS-US contingency during generalization may have weakened generalization processes on the physiological level. Considering that appetitive conditioned responses can be generalized to non-US-associated stimuli, a next important step would be to investigate risk factors that mediate overgeneralization.
We develop a model of oligopoly competition involving innovation effort, market entry and production flexibility under demand uncertainty. Several heterogeneous firms make efforts to develop new prototypes; if they succeed, they hold a shared option to enter a new market under stochastic demand. We derive analytic results for the Markov perfect equilibrium accounting for development effort, market entry and production decisions and complement these by numerical analyses. Firm value—which embeds real options—is not convex increasing in demand but exhibits “competitive waves” due to market entries by rivals. A firm with a development advantage (“innovator”) exerts greater innovation effort if the market is a niche, whereas another benefiting from economies of scale (“incumbent”) invests more if the market is larger. Positive externalities benefit the incumbent in the development stage, whereas the innovator is better off in counteracting negative externalities. Demand volatility raises firm incentives to innovate as it enhances the value of firm market‐entry and production flexibility.
During drought, abscisic acid (ABA) induces closure of stomata via a signaling pathway that involves the calcium (Ca2+)-independent protein kinase OST1, as well as Ca2+-dependent protein kinases. However, the interconnection between OST1 and Ca2+ signaling in ABA-induced stomatal closure has not been fully resolved.
ABA-induced Ca2+ signals were monitored in intact Arabidopsis leaves, which express the ratiometric Ca2+ reporter R-GECO1-mTurquoise and the Ca2+-dependent activation of S-type anion channels was recorded with intracellular double-barreled microelectrodes.
ABA triggered Ca2+ signals that occurred during the initiation period, as well as in the acceleration phase of stomatal closure. However, a subset of stomata closed in the absence of Ca2+ signals. On average, stomata closed faster if Ca2+ signals were elicited during the ABA response. Loss of OST1 prevented ABA-induced stomatal closure and repressed Ca2+ signals, whereas elevation of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration caused a rapid activation of SLAC1 and SLAH3 anion channels.
Our data show that the majority of Ca2+ signals are evoked during the acceleration phase of stomatal closure, which is initiated by OST1. These Ca2+ signals are likely to activate Ca2+-dependent protein kinases, which enhance the activity of S-type anion channels and boost stomatal closure.
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) sense microbial patterns and activate innate immunity against attempted microbial invasions. The leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RK) FLS2 and EFR, and the LRR receptor protein (LRR-RP) receptors RLP23 and RLP42, respectively, represent prototypical members of these two prominent and closely related PRR families.
We conducted a survey of Arabidopsis thaliana immune signaling mediated by these receptors to address the question of commonalities and differences between LRR-RK and LRR-RP signaling.
Quantitative differences in timing and amplitude were observed for several early immune responses, with RP-mediated responses typically being slower and more prolonged than those mediated by RKs. Activation of RLP23, but not FLS2, induced the production of camalexin. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that RLP23-regulated genes represent only a fraction of those genes differentially expressed upon FLS2 activation. Several positive and negative regulators of FLS2-signaling play similar roles in RLP23 signaling. Intriguingly, the cytoplasmic receptor kinase BIK1, a positive regulator of RK signaling, acts as a negative regulator of RP-type immune receptors in a manner dependent on BIK1 kinase activity.
Our study unveiled unexpected differences in two closely related receptor systems and reports a new negative role of BIK1 in plant immunity.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a potential therapy for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). To investigate the efficacy and safety of the IVIG IgPro10 (Privigen) for treatment of CIDP, results from Privigen Impact on Mobility and Autonomy (PRIMA), a prospective, open-label, single-arm study of IVIG in immunoglobulin (Ig)-naïve or IVIG pre-treated subjects (NCT01184846, n = 28) and Polyneuropathy And Treatment with Hizentra (PATH), a double-blind, randomized study including an open-label, single-arm IVIG phase in IVIG pre-treated subjects (NCT01545076, IVIG restabilization phase n = 207) were analyzed separately and together (n = 235). Efficacy assessments included change in adjusted inflammatory neuropathy cause and treatment (INCAT) score, grip strength and Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and ADRs/infusion were recorded. Adjusted INCAT response rate was 60.7% in all PRIMA subjects at Week 25 (76.9% in IVIG pre-treated subjects) and 72.9% in PATH. In the pooled cohort (n = 235), INCAT response rate was 71.5%; median time to INCAT improvement was 4.3 weeks. No clear demographic differences were noticed between early (responding before Week 7, n = 148) and late responders (n = 21). In the pooled cohort, median change from baseline to last observation was −1.0 (interquartile range −2.0; 0.0) point for INCAT score; +8.0 (0.0; 20.0) kPa for maximum grip strength; +3.0 (1.0; 7.0) points for MRC sum score. In the pooled cohort, 271 ADRs were reported in 105 subjects (44.7%), a rate of 0.144 ADRs per infusion. This analysis confirms the efficacy and safety of IgPro10, a recently FDA-approved IVIG for CIDP, in a population of mainly pre-treated subjects with CIDP [Correction added on 14 March 2019 after first online publication: the INCAT response rate has been corrected.].
Aims/Introduction
In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, empagliflozin added to standard of care improved clinically relevant kidney outcomes by 39%, slowed progression of chronic kidney disease, and reduced albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. This exploratory analysis investigated the effects of empagliflozin on the kidneys in Asian patients.
Materials and Methods
Participants in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial were randomized (1:1:1) to empagliflozin 10 mg, 25 mg or a placebo. In patients of Asian race, we analyzed incident or worsening nephropathy (progression to macroalbuminuria, doubling of serum creatinine, initiation of renal-replacement therapy or renal death) and its components, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio changes, and renal safety.
Results
Of 7,020 treated patients, 1,517 (26.1%) were Asian. In this subgroup, consistent with the overall trial population, empagliflozin reduced the risk of incident or worsening nephropathy (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.49–0.83), progression to macroalbuminuria (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.49–0.85) and the composite of doubling of serum creatinine, initiation of renal-replacement therapy or renal death (hazard ratio 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.25–0.92). Furthermore, empagliflozin-treated participants showed slower eGFR decline versus placebo, and showed rapid urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio reduction at week 12, maintained through week 164, with effects most pronounced in those with baseline microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria. The kidney safety profile of empagliflozin in the Asian subgroup was similar to the overall trial population.
Conclusions
In Asian patients from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, empagliflozin improved kidney outcomes, slowed eGFR decline and lowered albuminuria versus placebo, consistent with the overall trial population findings.
Aim
The aim was to identify benefit thresholds for clinical variables. We hypothesize, if variables fall below or exceed these threshold levels, systemic amoxicillin/metronidazole may contribute to reducing progression of periodontitis.
Material & Methods
This is an explorative per-protocol collective analysis (n = 345) conducted on the placebo-controlled, multi-centre ABPARO trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00707369). Patients received debridement with systemic amoxicillin 500 mg/metronidazole 400 mg (3×/day, 7 days, n = 170) or placebo (n = 175) and maintenance therapy every three months. To identify thresholds, each of the following baseline characteristics was classified into two groups (≥threshold value/<threshold value): bleeding on probing, extent of pocket probing depth (PPD) ≥ 5 mm, mean clinical attachment level and age. Treatment effect (% of sites with new attachment loss ≥ 1.3 mm at 27.5 months post-treatment) was calculated.
Results
Adjunctive antimicrobials reduced median new attachment loss in patients < 55 years (5.2%), or with ≥ 35% PPD ≥ 5 mm (4.5%) or with a mean attachment level > 5 mm (5.2%) at baseline compared to the placebo (9.0%, 11.6%, and 12.5%, respectively; p < 0.005).
Conclusions
The clinical benefits of systemic amoxicillin/metronidazole may depend on periodontitis severity and patients' age.
G-protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is essential for the spatiotemporal control of leukocyte dynamics during immune responses. For efficient navigation through mammalian tissues, most leukocyte types express more than one GPCR on their surface and sense a wide range of chemokines and chemoattractants, leading to basic forms of leukocyte movement (chemokinesis, haptokinesis, chemotaxis, haptotaxis, and chemorepulsion). How leukocytes integrate multiple GPCR signals and make directional decisions in lymphoid and inflamed tissues is still subject of intense research. Many of our concepts on GPCR-controlled leukocyte navigation in the presence of multiple GPCR signals derive from in vitro chemotaxis studies and lower vertebrates. In this review, we refer to these concepts and critically contemplate their relevance for the directional movement of several leukocyte subsets (neutrophils, T cells, and dendritic cells) in the complexity of mouse tissues. We discuss how leukocyte navigation can be regulated at the level of only a single GPCR (surface expression, competitive antagonism, oligomerization, homologous desensitization, and receptor internalization) or multiple GPCRs (synergy, hierarchical and non-hierarchical competition, sequential signaling, heterologous desensitization, and agonist scavenging). In particular, we will highlight recent advances in understanding GPCR-controlled leukocyte navigation by intravital microscopy of immune cells in mice.
Aim
Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits.
Location
Tundra biome.
Time period
Data collected between 1964 and 2016.
Major taxa studied
295 tundra vascular plant species.
Methods
We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits.
Results
Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression.
Main conclusions
Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra vegetation change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon storage. We argue that alternative classifications or direct use of specific plant traits could provide new insights for ecological prediction and modelling.
This paper presents a measurement of forward-forward and forward-central dijet azimuthal angular correlations and conditional yields in proton-proton (pp) and proton-lead (p + Pb) collisions as a probe of the nuclear gluon density in regions where the fraction of the average momentum per nucleon carried by the parton entering the hard scattering is low. In these regions, gluon saturation can modify the rapidly increasing parton distribution function of the gluon. The analysis utilizes 25 pb(-1) of pp data and 360 mu b(-1) of p + Pb data, both at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV, collected in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed in the center-of-mass frame of the nucleon-nucleon system in the rapidity range between -4.0 and 4.0 using the two highest transverse-momentum jets in each event, with the highest transverse-momentum jet restricted to the forward rapidity range. No significant broadening of azimuthal angular correlations is observed for forward-forward or forward-central dijets in p + Pb compared to pp collisions. For forward-forward jet pairs in the proton-going direction, the ratio of conditional yields in p + Pb collisions to those in pp collisions is suppressed by approximately 20%, with no significant dependence on the transverse momentum of the dijet system. No modification of conditional yields is observed for forward-central dijets.