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- Astrocytes ; Schwann cells ; Interferon-gamma ; Fibroblast growth factor ; Cyclic AMP (1)
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Motivation
The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.
Main types of variables included
The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record.
Spatial location and grain
BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km2 (158 cm2) to 100 km2 (1,000,000,000,000 cm2).
Time period and grain
BioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year.
Major taxa and level of measurement
BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.
Software format
.csv and .SQL.
The structure of the rat ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene and the regulation ofCNTF mRNA levels in cultured glial cells were investigated. The rat mRNA is encoded by a simple two-exon transcription unit. Sequence analysis of the region upstream of the transcription start-site did not reveal a typical TATA-box consensus sequence. Low levels of CNTF mRNA were detected in cultured Schwann cells, and CNTF mRNA was not increased by a variety of treatments. Three-week-old astrocyteenriched cell cultures from new-born rat brain contained easily detectable CNTF mRNA. In astrocyte-enriched cultures, upregulation of CNTF mRNA levels was observed after treatment with IFN-gamma. CNTF mRNA levels were down-regulated in these cells by treatments that elevate intracellular cyclic AMP and by members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. The implications of these results for potential in vivo functions of CNTF are discussed.
Background: Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are treated with a palliative approach with focus oncontrolling for disease symptoms and maintaining high quality of life. Information on individual needs of patients andtheir relatives as well as on treatment patterns in clinical routine care for this specific patient group are lacking or arenot routinely documented in established Cancer Registries. Thus, we developed a registry concept specifically adaptedfor these incurable patients comprising primary and secondary data as well as mobile-health (m-health) data.
Methods: The concept for patient-centered “Breast cancer care for patients with metastatic disease”(BRE-4-MED)registry was developed and piloted exemplarily in the region of Main-Franconia, a mainly rural region in Germanycomprising about 1.3 M inhabitants. The registry concept includes data on diagnosis, therapy, progression, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and needs of family members from several sources of information includingroutine data from established Cancer Registries in different federal states, treating physicians in hospital as well as inoutpatient settings, patients with metastatic breast cancer and their family members. Linkage with routine cancerregistry data was performed to collect secondary data on diagnosis, therapy, and progression. Paper and online-basedquestionnaires were used to assess PROMs. A dedicated mobile application software (APP) was developed to monitorneeds, progression, and therapy change of individual patients. Patient’s acceptance and feasibility of data collection inclinical routine was assessed within a proof-of-concept study.
Results: The concept for the BRE-4-MED registry was developed and piloted between September 2017 and May 2018.In total n= 31 patients were included in the pilot study, n= 22 patients were followed up after 1 month. Recordlinkage with the Cancer Registries of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg demonstrated to be feasible. The voluntary APP/online questionnaire was used by n= 7 participants. The feasibility of the registry concept in clinical routine waspositively evaluated by the participating hospitals.
Conclusion: The concept of the BRE-4-MED registry provides evidence that combinatorial evaluation of PROMs, needsof family members, and raising clinical parameters from primary and secondary data sources as well as m-healthapplications are feasible and accepted in an incurable cancer collective.
Visceral pentastomiasis caused by Armillifer armillatus larvae was diagnosed in 2 dogs in The Gambia. Parasites were subjected to PCR; phylogenetic analysis confirmed relatedness with branchiurans/crustaceans. Our investigation highlights transmission of infective A. armillatus ova to dogs and, by serologic evidence, also to 1 human, demonstrating a public health concern.
In dooal unisexual vertebrales, the genes specifying the males become dispensable. To study tbe rate of such geoes the gynogeoetic all-female fisb Poecilillfonnolll was treated with androgens. Phenotypic males were obtained that exbibited the complete set of male cbaracteristics of dosely related gooocboristic species, induding body proportions, pigmentation, the extremely complex insemination apparatus of poecilüd fish, sexual bebavior, and spermatogeoesls. Tbe apparent stabllity of such genic structures, induding those involved in androgen regulation, is contrasted by high instability of noncoding sequeaces. Frequent mutations, thelr donal transmission, and at least two truly hypervariable Iod leading to individual difl'ereaces between these othenrise donal organisms were detected by DNA fingerprinting. These observations substantiate the concept that also in "ameiotic" vertebrates certain compartments of the genome are more prooe to mutatiooal alterations than others.
Background: Pioglitazone, an oral anti-diabetic that stimulates the PPAR-gamma transcription factor, increased survival of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Methods/Principal Findings: We performed a phase II, double blind, multicentre, placebo controlled trial of pioglitazone in ALS patients under riluzole. 219 patients were randomly assigned to receive 45 mg/day of pioglitazone or placebo (one: one allocation ratio). The primary endpoint was survival. Secondary endpoints included incidence of non-invasive ventilation and tracheotomy, and slopes of ALS-FRS, slow vital capacity, and quality of life as assessed using EUROQoL EQ-5D. The study was conducted under a two-stage group sequential test, allowing to stop for futility or superiority after interim analysis. Shortly after interim analysis, 30 patients under pioglitazone and 24 patients under placebo had died. The trial was stopped for futility; the hazard ratio for primary endpoint was 1.21 (95% CI: 0.71-2.07, p = 0.48). Secondary endpoints were not modified by pioglitazone treatment. Pioglitazone was well tolerated.
Conclusion/Significance: Pioglitazone has no beneficial effects on the survival of ALS patients as add-on therapy to riluzole.
Background: Bipolar disorders (BD) are among the most severe mental disorders with first clinical signs and symptoms frequently appearing in adolescence and early adulthood. The long latency in clinical diagnosis (and subsequent adequate treatment) adversely affects the course of disease, effectiveness of interventions and health-related quality of life, and increases the economic burden of BD. Despite uncertainties about risk constellations and symptomatology in the early stages of potentially developing BD, many adolescents and young adults seek help, and most of them suffer substantially from symptoms already leading to impairments in psychosocial functioning in school, training, at work and in their social relationships. We aimed to identify subjects at risk of developing BD and investigate the efficacy and safety of early specific cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy (CBT) in this subpopulation.
Methods/Design: EarlyCBT is a randomised controlled multi-centre clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of early specific CBT, including stress management and problem solving strategies, with elements of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) versus unstructured group meetings for 14 weeks each and follow-up until week 78. Participants are recruited at seven university hospitals throughout Germany, which provide in-and outpatient care (including early recognition centres) for psychiatric patients. Subjects at high risk must be 15 to 30 years old and meet the combination of specified affective symptomatology, reduction of psychosocial functioning, and family history for (schizo) affective disorders. Primary efficacy endpoints are differences in psychosocial functioning and defined affective symptomatology at 14 weeks between groups. Secondary endpoints include the above mentioned endpoints at 7, 24, 52 and 78 weeks and the change within groups compared to baseline; perception of, reaction to and coping with stress; and conversion to full BD.
Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate early specific CBT in subjects at high risk for BD. Structured diagnostic interviews are used to map the risk status and development of disease. With our study, the level of evidence for the treatment of those young patients will be significantly raised.
Molecular-based subclassifications of breast cancer are important for identifying treatment options and stratifying the prognosis in breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the prognosis relative to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and other subtypes, using a biomarker panel including cytokeratin 5 (CK5), cluster of differentiation 117 (CD117), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This cohort–case study included histologically confirmed breast carcinomas as cohort arm. From a total of 894 patients, 572 patients with early breast cancer, sufficient clinical data, and archived tumor tissue were included. Using the immunohistochemical markers CK5, CD117, and EGFR, two subgroups were formed: one with all three biomarkers negative (TBN) and one with at least one of those three biomarkers positive (non-TBN). There were significant differences between the two biomarker subgroups (TBN versus non-TBN) in TNBC for DFS (p = 0.04) and OS (p = 0.02), with higher survival rates (DFS and OS) in the non-TBN subgroup. In this study, we found the non-TBN subgroup of TNBC lesions with at least one positive biomarker of CK5, CD117, and/or EGFR, to be associated with longer DFS and OS.
Im Freistaat Bayern wird intensiv diskutiert, wie die nach wie vor hohe Freiflächeninanspruchnahme für Siedlungs- und Verkehrszwecke reduziert werden kann. Wissenschaftliche Grundlage für Steuerungsansätze in der Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung sollte ein verbessertes staatliches Flächenmonitoring sein, welches über die amtliche Statistik und deren Hauptindikator "Siedlungs- und Verkehrsfläche" hinaus auch die qualitative Dimension der Flächeninanspruchnahme einbezieht. Dafür stellt dieser Beitrag methodische Erweiterungsansätze für das Flächenmonitoring vor, welche kleinräumige Analysen der Zersiedelung, Freiraumstruktur, Flächenversiegelung und Ökosystemleistungen am Beispiel des Landkreises Rhön-Grabfeld aufzeigen. Diese werden im Kontext der Debatte zu Ursachen und Steuerung der Freiflächeninanspruchnahme sowie zu aktuellen Anforderungen an das Flächenmonitoring diskutiert. Betont wird deren Bedeutung für das Monitoring rechtlicher Vorgaben und politischer Ziele zur nachhaltigen Flächennutzung.
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) as well as noradrenaline (NA) are key modulators of various fundamental brain functions including the control of appetite. While manipulations that alter brain serotoninergic signaling clearly affect body weight, studies implicating 5-HT transporters and NA transporters (5-HTT and NAT, respectively) as a main drug treatment target for human obesity have not been conclusive. The aim of this positron emission tomography (PET) study was to investigate how these central transporters are associated with changes of body weight after 6 months of dietary intervention or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery in order to assess whether 5-HTT as well as NAT availability can predict weight loss and consequently treatment success. The study population consisted of two study cohorts using either the 5-HTT-selective radiotracer [\(^{11}\)C]DASB to measure 5-HTT availability or the NAT-selective radiotracer [\(^{11}\)C]MRB to assess NAT availability. Each group included non-obesity healthy participants, patients with severe obesity (body mass index, BMI, >35 kg/m\(^2\)) following a conservative dietary program (diet) and patients undergoing RYGB surgery within a 6-month follow-up. Overall, changes in BMI were not associated with changes of both 5-HTT and NAT availability, while 5-HTT availability in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) prior to intervention was associated with substantial BMI reduction after RYGB surgery and inversely related with modest BMI reduction after diet. Taken together, the data of our study indicate that 5-HTT and NAT are involved in the pathomechanism of obesity and have the potential to serve as predictors of treatment outcomes.