Rationale The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is implicated in several psychiatric disorders. Investigating emotional–motivational dysfunctions as underlying mechanisms, a study in humans revealed that in the C385A polymorphism of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the degrading enzyme of the eCB anandamide (AEA), A carriers, who are characterized by increased signaling of AEA as compared to C/C carriers, exhibited reduced brain reactivity towards unpleasant faces and enhanced reactivity towards reward. However, the association of eCB system with emotional–motivational reactivity is complex and bidirectional due to upcoming compensatory processes. Objectives Therefore, we further investigated the relationship of the FAAH polymorphism and emotional–motivational reactivity in humans. Methods We assessed the affect-modulated startle, and ratings of valence and arousal in response to higher arousing pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures in 67 FAAH C385A C/C carriers and 45 A carriers. Results Contrarily to the previous functional MRI study, A carriers compared to C/C carriers exhibited an increased startle potentiation and therefore emotional responsiveness towards unpleasant picture stimuli and reduced startle inhibition indicating reduced emotional reactivity in response to pleasant pictures, while both groups did not differ in ratings of arousal and valence. Conclusions Our findings emphasize the bidirectionality and thorough examination of the eCB system’s impact on emotional reactivity as a central endophenotype underlying various psychiatric disorders.

The surface electronic structure of the narrow-gap seminconductor BiTeI exhibits a large Rashba-splitting which strongly depends on the surface termination. Here we report on a detailed investigation of the surface morphology and electronic properties of cleaved BiTeI single crystals by scanning tunneling microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES, XPS), electron diffraction (SPA-LEED) and density functional theory calculations. Our measurements confirm a previously reported coexistence of Te- and I-terminated surface areas originating from bulk stacking faults and find a characteristic length scale of ~100 nm for these areas. We show that the two terminations exhibit distinct types of atomic defects in the surface and subsurface layers. For electronic states resided on the I terminations we observe an energy shift depending on the time after cleavage. This aging effect is successfully mimicked by depositon of Cs adatoms found to accumulate on top of the I terminations. As shown theoretically on a microscopic scale, this preferential adsorbing behaviour results from considerably different energetics and surface diffusion lengths at the two terminations. Our investigations provide insight into the importance of structural imperfections as well as intrinsic and extrinsic defects on the electronic properties of BiTeI surfaces and their temporal stability.

The interplay between inflammation and oxidative stress is a vicious circle, potentially resulting in organ damage. Essential micronutrients such as selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) support anti-oxidative defense systems and are commonly depleted in severe disease. This single-center retrospective study investigated micronutrient levels under Se and Zn supplementation in critically ill patients with COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and explored potential relationships with immunological and clinical parameters. According to intensive care unit (ICU) standard operating procedures, patients received 1.0 mg of intravenous Se daily on top of artificial nutrition, which contained various amounts of Se and Zn. Micronutrients, inflammatory cytokines, lymphocyte subsets and clinical data were extracted from the patient data management system on admission and after 10 to 14 days of treatment. Forty-six patients were screened for eligibility and 22 patients were included in the study. Twenty-one patients (95%) suffered from severe ARDS and 14 patients (64%) survived to ICU discharge. On admission, the majority of patients had low Se status biomarkers and Zn levels, along with elevated inflammatory parameters. Se supplementation significantly elevated Se (p = 0.027) and selenoprotein P levels (SELENOP; p = 0.016) to normal range. Accordingly, glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) activity increased over time (p = 0.021). Se biomarkers, most notably SELENOP, were inversely correlated with CRP (r\(_s\) = −0.495), PCT (r\(_s\) = −0.413), IL-6 (r\(_s\) = −0.429), IL-1β (r\(_s\) = −0.440) and IL-10 (r\(_s\) = −0.461). Positive associations were found for CD8\(^+\) T cells (r(_s\) = 0.636), NK cells (r\(_s\) = 0.772), total IgG (r\(_s\) = 0.493) and PaO\(_2\)/FiO\(_2\) ratios (r\(_s\) = 0.504). In addition, survivors tended to have higher Se levels after 10 to 14 days compared to non-survivors (p = 0.075). Sufficient Se and Zn levels may potentially be of clinical significance for an adequate immune response in critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS.

Transition metal oxides (TMO) represent a highly interesting material class as they exhibit a variety of different emergent phenomena including multiferroicity and superconductivity. These effects result from a significant interplay of charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom within the correlated d-electrons. Oxygen vacancies (OV) at the surface of certain d0 TMO release free charge carriers and prompt the formation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Barium titanate (BaTiO3) is a prototypical and promising d0 TMO. It displays ferroelectricity at room temperature and features several structural phase transitions, from cubic over tetragonal (at room temperature) and orthorhombic to rhombohedral. The spontaneous electric polarization in BaTiO3 can be used to manipulate the physical properties of adjacent materials, e.g. in thin films. Although the macroscopic properties of BaTiO3 are studied in great detail, the microscopic electronic structure at the surface and interface of BaTiO3 is not sufficiently understood yet due to the complex interplay of correlation within the d states, oxygen vacancies at the surface, ferroelectricity in the bulk and the structural phase transitions in BaTiO3. This thesis investigates the electronic structure of different BaTiO3 systems by means of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). The valence band of BaTiO3 single crystals is systematically characterized and compared to theoretical band structure calculations. A finite p-d hybridization of titanium and oxygen states was inferred at the high binding energy side of the valence band. In BaTiO3 thin films, the occurrence of spectral weight near the Fermi level could be linked to a certain amount of OV at the surface which effectively dopes the host system. By a systematic study of the metallic surface states as a function of temperature and partial oxygen pressure, a model was established which reflects the depletion and accumulation of charge carriers at the surface of BaTiO3. An instability at T ~ 285K assumes a volatile behavior of these surface states. The ferroelectricity in BaTiO3 allows a control of the electronic structure at the interface of BaTiO3-based heterostructures. Therefore, the interface electronic structure of Bi/BaTiO3 was studied with respect to the strongly spin-orit coupled states in Bi by also including a thickness dependent characterization. The ARPES results, indeed, confirm the presence of Rashba spin-split electronic states in the bulk band gap of the ferroelectric substrate. By varying the film thickness in Bi/BaTiO3, it was able to modify the energy position and the Fermi vector of the spin-split states. This observation is associated with the appearance of an interface state which was observed for very low film thickness. Both spectral findings suggest a significant coupling between the Bi films and BaTiO3.

(1) Background: Health care workers (HCWs) play a key role in increasing anti-COVID vaccination rates. Fear of potential side effects is one of the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. We investigated which side effects are of concern to HCWs and how these are associated with vaccine hesitancy. (2) Methods: Data were collected in an online survey in February 2021 among HCWs from across Germany with 4500 included participants. Free-text comments on previously experienced vaccination side effects, and fear of short- and long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination were categorized and analyzed. (3) Results: Most feared short-term side effects were vaccination reactions, allergic reactions, and limitations in daily life. Most feared long-term side effects were (auto-) immune reactions, neurological side effects, and currently unknown long-term consequences. Concerns about serious vaccination side effects were associated with vaccination refusal. There was a clear association between refusal of COVID-19 vaccination in one's personal environment and fear of side effects. (4) Conclusions: Transparent information about vaccine side effects is needed, especially for HCW. Especially when the participants' acquaintances advised against vaccination, they were significantly more likely to fear side effects. Thus, further education of HCW is necessary to achieve good information transfer in clusters as well.